Bo took out his blade prompting Brandon and myself to follow suit. He explained where the balance was, and the best place to hold our particular blades. He began showing us the proper stance when swinging one’s weapon. He even showed us how to step up behind your victim and slice their throat with accuracy. This was a lesson that I had tried on my own, but I had to admit that his technique was far more precise.
“I’m going to set up a board so I can teach y’all how to throw knives. It can be very important and you never know when it could come in handy,” Bo explained, as he took off for the back door.
“He’s really good with these things, isn’t he?” I asked, smiling at Brandon.
“Yeah and he’s a lot faster now.”
The first thing we heard was Ashley coming in giggling, and it was unmistakably the sound of a young girl falling for the fancies of a young man. Then Derek came up just as happy, but he and Sydney were paying no mind to the way that Ashley was looking back. I, on the other hand was watching intently as she was holding the door open as they came in, both carried a box of supplies that we didn’t need. She closed the door, then leaned up against it, eyes only for Sydney, as she smiled watching him walk down the hall with Derek. That is until she glanced over and saw me and Brandon looking back at her.
“I was just…you can’t. Oh you know what I mean.” Then she turned around and walked into the other room.
“I wonder how long it will be before she realizes that she went the wrong way,” Brandon asked about the time she stepped back out of the dark dining room.
“I’m just going to go make our guest some tea.”
We didn’t say a word as she did her best to walk by without tripping. I was leaning on the staircase, and Brandon was sitting on the bottom step. The kitchen was down the hall next to the staircase and the very last door to the right. Ashley opened two doors on the left before she smiled entering the last door on the opposite side. Brandon and I returned to our places after watching the show from the side of the staircase railing.
“I think she has a small crush,” Brandon finally said.
“Ya think?” I snickered.
“How on earth does she think that’s gonna work?”
“That is where we’re on even ground. And she better not even think about asking to change him.”
Brandon almost choked; he stood up and grabbed his chest then broke down laughing. Bo came back in with a huge piece of lumber, wanting to know what was going on. I don’t think that either of us could have explained it at that moment. About that time the others came out of the kitchen holding glasses of iced tea. Sydney walked up and held one out to me, causing me to look back at Derek who shrugged his shoulders. I took it and thanked him. He looked just as pleased as a person could get with themselves and I felt about as stupid. Ashley gave Bo a glass, and Derek handed Brandon one. Derek being the, not-so-sharp-one, turned the glass up and drank half of its contents.
“That’s not bad, Sydney,” Derek said, as a faint color of green covered his face.
“You all right, Derek? You don’t look so good,” Brandon asked.
“My stomach feels a lit…”
Derek dropped the glass and hit the front door running.
I handed my glass back to Sydney telling him to stay put, without even realizing that I had just done it with my mind. When I looked back into the house all that I saw was Sydney holding four glasses the best that he could, because each of us were surrounding, Derek. His body was rejecting the fluid violently and he was acting like it was causing him pain.
“He’s gonna need to feed. Do you two think you can go out and find us something?” I asked Bo and Brandon.
“I saw a farm a few miles back,” Bo replied.
“Just take what you have to. We don’t want to take too much from one place,” I explained as I helped Derek to his feet. “Glad we didn’t feed yet, he would have wasted it all.”
“Can I help?” Sydney called out.
“No. Everything’s fine,” I replied. “Ashley, take Sydney to the kitchen. I’ll get Derek downstairs to his room.”
“Okay. Is he gonna be alright?”
“He’ll be fine. I took in a lot of water once,” I replied pulling Derek’s arm over my shoulder. “I can’t believe you drank that like that.”
“Trust me, I won’t do it again,” Derek moaned.
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Ashley chuckled. “I’ll take care of Sydney.”
I waited until she sprinted into the house and as soon as they disappeared into the kitchen, I helped Derek past the staircase and down the hall to the left, and into the basement. He was walking more prone by the time we made it to our room, but his color was still a much more pale color than he normally was. I pulled the cover back and sat him on the side of the bed and took off his shoes.
“I remember when my ma use to take off my shoes.”
“You just need to rest. I’ll bring you something to eat as soon as they get back.”
“Brandon doesn’t think that I remember, but I do. She was beautiful. I can still see their coffins as we were being pulled out of the room by the people from the orphanage. I know he always likes to think that we never really had folks, but we did, Renee. They just died, got killed somehow.”
“I’m sorry, Derek. That must have been horrible.”
“Brandon has always been there for me. When they tried to separate us, he took me and ran away. We’ve been running ever since.”
“Until now that is. You will never have to run again. We’ll take care of each other from now on.”
“You’re the closest thing that I’ve had to a ma, since I can hardly remember. I know you’re not old enough, but I’m proud to be your kid.”
“And I’m proud to call you mine,” I replied leaning in and taking him into my arms. “Now, you lay down. I’m gonna go check on the others.”
He agreed, so I went back upstairs. I found Ashley and Sydney sitting at the kitchen table, so I went in and joined them. They were talking about the boat and how long Sydney had been living on it. Neither noticed me for a good five minutes. They were so into their own little world at that time, that I was lucky they paid me any mind at all. I slid my foot across the floor and Ashley jumped, and then smiled up at me.
“Five years, Renee. Can you believe that? Sydney has been living on his boat for five years,” Ashley announced with excitement.
“That’s a long time to be out on the open water.”
“When my folks passed away there wasn’t any reason for me to stay around, so I did what I always dreamed of. I took to that open water without any intention of ever coming back. Not to my old world anyway.” Sydney was silent for a few seconds before he continued. “My dad use to take me sailing when I was little and it turned into something that I never grew out of.”
“Do you mind if I ask how your folks died?” I asked, coming around Ashley and taking a seat by Sydney.
“No, not at all. My mother died when I was sixteen from pneumonia, and my dad passed of old age, five years age. He was close to twenty years older than my mother.”
“You don’t have any siblings or any other family members?” Ashley asked, leaning her elbow on the table and batting her lashes at Sydney.
“Oh sure. My brother and his family took the family home and I got the yacht. We haven’t seen eye to eye most of our lives, that is, until I told him that I didn’t want anything except dad’s old boat. Now he thinks I hung the moon, even tries to get me to come home at least once a year.”
“I don’t mean to be so nosy, but do you go?” I inquired hoping that he didn’t.
“I went twice, but I couldn’t stand the way that he tried to act like my dad. It just made me sick to my stomach. I get a letter every time I port in San Francisco, but I’ve gotten to where I don’t even open them anymore.”
“That’s horrible, Sydney. You must be so lonely all by yourself,” Ashley spoke soft with a recognizable passion in her voice.
“A
shley. Why don’t you go check on, Derek?”
“But…”
“Please, I want to talk to Sydney.”
Ashley was a little hesitant, but took my more than subtle hint and left the table. I looked at Sydney and put as many thoughts into my mind about our needing to get to Cuba, as I could without giving him too much information. He already knew that we were different than other ‘people’ that he had known, but he was under my spell, so-to-speak, and didn’t seem to care about the elongation of our teeth or the paleness of our skin. He was looking at me with a slight tilt of his head. I wasn’t able to read his thoughts, so I just asked what was on his mind.
“Why on earth would you want to go to Cuba?”
“I have friends there and they’re in trouble.”
“I keep seeing things in my head, but I can’t quite figure out what I’m looking at. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful, but I keep seeing you in a bad way.”
Right then and there I knew that my inner thoughts were spilling over into his. I was trying to manipulate his mind in a way that we could use him as our human guide. It was apparent that every time I thought about Cuba, a few of my memories of the torture I went through, were slipping in.
“Sydney, I want you to listen to me very carefully. You are going to be my day eyes and ears. You’re going to take me and my little ones to Cuba without any questions, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Now go get the boat ready. I want to leave in the next few nights. We will need the bottom half of the boat to be as dark as possible. There can’t be any form of sunlight coming in. My boys will be bringing several small animals aboard before we leave.” I explained as I watched his eyes practically glaze over.
“I better get back now. I have a lot to do,” he mechanically replied.
“Sydney? Please, be yourself.”
“Okay. Well, I gotta go now. See you tomorrow night,” he added, then picked up his glass of tea and drank it. “I keep the bottom darkened because I sleep during the day. I love traveling by the stars. Hope you guys don’t mind.” Then he walked out like we had just had a leisurely conversation.
Chapter Seven
I sat there with my head in my hands knowing that I was playing a game that I knew nothing about. My only concern was getting Garvin and Tanda out of that living hell that they so willingly helped me escaped from. Now the reality of what I was doing was endangering the lives of not four, but now five, other beings. I had made one hell of bed to lie in, and now I felt like I was well past the point of no return. I could ask my little ones to stay behind and take the chance of getting the other two out by myself, but I doubted very seriously that they would agree to stay behind. And now I had a human servant, one of the things that I found to be despicable on the part of Rebecca and Yvette.
I waited for Bo and Brandon to return, thinking on what the future held for us. Four teens, one normal and me; not being much older than they were, that didn’t even know what type of creature she was, other than one that walked the night surviving off of the life fluids of the living. One that had nothing to offer her followers but the love that she carried in her heart. I couldn’t help but think on what would happen if we were captured in our attempt to save my friends. What would Yvette do to my little ones to pay me back for escaping in the first place, not to mention my returning to take even more from her?
“What are you thinking about?” Ashley asked from the kitchen door.
“Nothing…everything,” I shook my head. “How’s Derek?”
“He’s fine. The boys are back. I heard them pull into the garage.”
“Great. Let’s get Derek fed.”
“Wait,” Ashley said, taking my arm as I stood up. “If you need to talk, about anything, I’m here to listen.”
“I know, sweetie. I’m just a little worried about everything that we have to do.”
“And maybe about what will happen after we get to Cuba?”
“Yeah, that too.”
“Hey, we’re back,” Bo called out from the front door.
“In here,” I hollered, patting Ashley’s hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“So, what do you think about, Sydney?” Ashley asked as her concern turned into a grin.
“Hum, I thought you were a little sweet on him.”
“I…well, just a little,” she giggled.
“Well, he is a looker,” I winked, “and so far he’s been a real gentleman.”
We laughed as the sounds of our voices were joined with the squeals of a young pig. We laughed harder when Brandon came through the door with the front end of a black and white pig that was struggling, and Bo, fighting with the back end. Ashley and I moved out of the way, while the boys managed to get the pig to the floor. Our eyes grew as Bo pulled his blade and slid it across the animal’s throat as if he were pissed. I jumped to the sink and grabbed a bowl, putting it under the wound just as the fluid started to pour out.
“That’ll shut him up. This thing has made that noise ever since we picked it up,” Bo practically growled as he held the head of the beast.
“I smell supper,” Derek said from the doorway.
“Hey brother, how do you feel?”
“Empty.”
“Grab a cup and help yourself,” I added, as I pulled the overflowing bowl out from under the beast. “Better be hurry, this thing is still bleeding.”
“Here,” Ashley said, handing me another bowl.
“Now I see why pigs are so much better than goats,” Derek announced with a red rim above his lip. “It’s so much sweeter, and it almost tastes like, Ashley.”
“Excuse me? Are you saying that I taste like a pig?”
“I think what Derek is saying is that pig blood is close to humans,” I explained.
“He better be saying something like that,” Ashley replied, with her hand back on her hip.
“Girl, you know I wouldn’t call you a pig, not in front of ya anyway,” Derek laughed.
“Oh, you are such a jerk,” Ashley snapped through pursed lips as she started chasing him around the table.
We drank until we were full and still there was red liquid left in the bowl. Derek was the one that made sure nothing went to waist, and no one stood in his way. We decided that we would go down to the beach to practice throwing our blades. The moon was shining bright and we all had outstanding vision as long as there was at least a little form of light, be it a partial moon or even a star filled sky. On the way out Derek asked if we were ten times stronger and could do things ten times better than a normal.
“What other things can we do, Renee?”
“I told you Derek, I have no idea.”
We all stood dumbfounded as Derek took off running from the porch and ran right off the cliff by the steps that led to the beach. It must have been at least a thirty foot drop. All we heard was a light thud.
One by one we took the stairs with Brandon in the lead. “Derek!” He yelled several times with no response. I knew everyone could see him from halfway down, because I could. He was curled up on his side holding his left arm and moaning quite loud. We reached the bottom and circled him like a flock of buzzards.
“Are you okay?” Bo asked.
“What we’re you thinking?” I asked.
“I should beat the shit out of you.” Brandon looked up at me as one single crimson tear rolled down his cheek, then he slid Derek into his lap.
“How else are we going to find out what we can do? I didn’t think it was that far down,” Derek replied clenching his teeth in agony.
“Couldn’t you have just tried a small leap first, Derek? You scared me half to death,” Ashley added squatting down, looking at his badly broken arm. “You actually deserve this, ya know.”
“Oh please, make her stop,” Derek pleaded, making us all crack up.
“You just promise to never try and fly again and everything will be fine,” I interjected.
“Should we carry him back up, and
just work out up there?” Bo asked waving his long blade around like a warrior ready for battle.
“You guys go ahead. I’ll take the dope up to the house and put him back in the bed. I’ll be back as soon as I can set this arm,” Brandon offered pulling Derek to his feet.
“Easy!” Derek yelled. “I can handle watching from the step.”
“I can make him a brace out of some of this wood,” Ashley said picking up two pieces of drift wood.
It wasn’t until I heard the material rip from the bottom of her shirt that the horrific memory of Garvin and Tanda setting my mangled ankles after one of Annabel’s extreme tortures, came flooding back into my mind. I cringed at the thought and took a walk as they worked on Derek. His moans and not-so-manly yells were nothing compared to what went on in the depths of the estate in Cuba, but it didn’t stop the torment of my psyche from crashing into overload. I recalled the Brown boy, screaming for me to help him, when I could do no more than reach my hand out from my own cage. Tears soaked my face as my thoughts took me back. How could I think about taking these innocent young people into that nightmare?
“Renee, wait up,” Bo called out.
I wiped the tears off my face as fast I could, but he had already seen the horrified look in my eyes. I sat down on the wet sand and burst out crying, letting all the frustrations flow. In my mind I imagined scenes with my little ones hanging from chains with their legs missing from the knees down, screaming for me to help them.
“I can’t take you kids with me, Bo. I just can’t do it.”
“What are you talking about, Renee? I thought we worked this out.” He sat down beside me.
“I was wrong. If they get their hands on you kids…”
“They won’t.”
“How do you know that?” I yelled, causing him to jump back. “I’m sorry, Bo. But you haven’t seen what I have. The things that those crazy bastards do, and the pleasure they get out of it, is more… more than I could handle if they got their hands on you.”
“We have something that they don’t,” he said scooting closer to me. “We have each other, a bond of family love. We’re going to sneak in, get your friends and sneak right back out. They won’t even know that we were there.”
Bloodbreeders: The Revenge Page 6
