“I use to think this smelt bad,” Brandon said, rolling his head over to look at me.
“They’ll smell us coming from a mile away now,” I replied, then winked at him.
“I think it would be best that we clean ourselves before we go beyond this level. The Mistress knows that Annabel and Enrique are about on other business most of the night and does not check in until close to the resting hour,” Garvin explained. “At times, not even until the next night.”
“We won’t be going anywhere. You’ll be staying down here with your sister and Ashley,” I said pushing myself off the door. “We have another friend who was hurt trying to protect us, and I don’t want to leave Tanda and Ashley alone without protection.”
“If that is what you wish.”
We bunched together and made our way back to the room that we had Sydney hidden in, and found him resting peacefully. I had the boys bring a chair into the cell and told Garvin to sit down, so I could get a better look at Tanda. She was so badly caked in the things that were festering in the bottom of those cages that, I couldn’t manage to tell anything. I asked Garvin if the washroom that they had taken me to had everything that we would need, and if Tanda’s room was still on this level. He told me that the Mistress had everything of theirs burnt as a punishment for their action against her, and that there would be nothing to find in her room. I nodded, then took Ashley and Bo with me to get everything ready to give Tanda as much of a bath as we could.
I had Bo go back and tell Garvin when we were ready, and then he in turn, carried Tanda to us. She was too weak to even sit up, and it was heart breaking watching her try. Garvin raised his wrist to his mouth, and was just about to bite through the flesh when I looked up and grabbed his arm.
“I can’t let you do that.”
“I have never seen her this weak before and I will not lose her now,” he replied, pulling his arm from my grip.
“Please. Then let me do it,” I said, gently taking his hand back in mine. “You’re too weak yourself, Garvin.”
“I would be forever in you dept.”
I smiled getting down on my knees. I stroked Tanda’s forehead, telling her that I was going to feed her from my vein, and that I needed her to drink when I pressed my arm to her mouth. When she didn’t respond, I looked to Garvin to make sure she was ready when I bit into my flesh. The blood came slowly at first, and then the flow became steadier as I pressed on my arm. I held it over her gray lips, as Garvin tilted her head back and opened her mouth.
“Drink from the life of your new mother, my sister,” Garvin whispered leaning close to her ear. “She will belong to you forever now.” Then he kissed her cheek.
I watched as my blood spilled from the sides of her mouth, thinking we might have been too late. Then she coughed. Just a small sound, as some of the blood slid down her throat. She swallowed several times before she raised her extremely delicate hand up, and pulled my arm closer to her mouth until her lips embraced it with a mild suction. The more she drank, the more life came back into the color of her skin. I began to feel light headed, realizing that I was giving too much, and making myself weak, so I pulled my arm away. Ashley handed me a piece of cloth that she must have torn from her own shirt. As I was looking down, placing it around my wrist, I felt a hand touch the side of my head.
“Thank you,” Tanda said, doing her best to smile. “You gave me your life, and now I belong to you.”
“I would give you my life a thousand times over, both of you,” I smiled, and then looked back at the others. “All of you.”
“And you think you’re not a leader,” Ashley said, coming over and hugging me from behind. “That water we heated is going to get cold if we don’t get her in it.”
“What would I do without you?”
Chapter Fifteen
Tanda had regained some strength from my blood, enough to sit up and let us bathe her. Garvin sat back and watched like a gallant bodyguard, as Ashley and I worked on getting Tanda back to as normal as possible. I remembered when she and I sat in this very room doing the same, only it was her helping me scrub off the decay and putrid filth that had incrusted itself to my body. As Ashley poured the last of the warm water over her, I was making sure we had the last bit of soap out of her thin blonde hair. Once she was dry, I put one of the plain white, cotton gowns on her that I found hanging in the closet. Ones that were for those that were unlucky enough to be chosen for a night with one of the Mistress’s perverted guests. A gown much like the ones that I had worn during my stay here.
“I thought on you every time I opened my eyes, and I knew that one of those times I would open them and you would be there,” Tanda said as I combed her hair. “Even when I heard Annabel, tell Martin that you were taken to…”
“Martin?” I interrupted. “He really was here? When?” I asked looking back at Garvin.
“Weeks after you had gone. It is how Tanda ended up in the hole.”
“That must be what Sydney was talking about,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.
“I wouldn’t tell the Mistress how you got out, after she heard me talking to Martin,” she explained turning to look up at me.
“Tanda was about to tell him that you went back to your family, when Annabel walked in on them. It was then that she made him think that Tanda was about to tell him that you were taken to London,” Garvin said in compliance.
“London, England,” I gasped.
“I was too afraid to tell him that she was lying, Renee. I’ve seen what she does to those who do such things,” Tanda admitted, turning back away from my worried stare.
“I don’t blame you one bit,” I said, turning her around and taking her into my arms. “I’m just so grateful that you’re both alive. The question is, how on earth am I going to search for him now?”
“You are correct in your thinking, because that is where a problem lies. Your maker is a very wealthy man and can travel without question. He has a number of normals working for him in every port, along with several homes along the coast of your country. We on the other hand, have nothing,” Garvin clarified, showing great concern on his face.
“My mother always told us, ‘that where there is a will, there is a way’, and I believe everything that woman said—period. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“You are very wise for being so young, Lady Renee.”
“Thanks, and don’t call me that. Why did they punish you, Garvin?”
“For stepping in front of Annabel when she was going to strike me,” Tanda answered in his place.
She wrapped her arms around my waist and held me tight. I could feel her shoulders trembling and knew that she was crying. I got down on my knees and sat back on my heels, holding her so she could get it out of her system. Garvin and Ashley had both walked over and squatted down, wrapping the two of us in their embrace, which didn’t do anything but cause me to break down and cry right along with Tanda. Garvin was the first to stand back up, letting me know that we needed to hurry. It had to be close to midnight, if not already past, and there was plenty left on my plate. Once we were all back in the same area as the others, the questions began.
“Shouldn’t we get back to the boat?” Brandon asked.
“We can carry Sydney on some kind of stretcher,” Derek added.
“What about when we’re in the water?” Ashley asked. “He could drown.”
“We can’t stay here until he wakes up, Ash,” Derek responded sharply.
“If you wanna go so bad …then go.” she yelled directly in his face. “But I’m not leaving him, or putting his life in danger to suit you.”
“She has a point, Renee. What are we going to do?” Bo turned and asked.
“I think we have three that are too weak to move right now. Do you really wanna know what I think?” I asked looking around the room.
“Tell us,” Garvin said, after seeing all the nods.
“I think we should find Yvette, gut her like a farm pig, and
then burn this place back to hell where it belongs.”
“You don’t even know how many people she has up there. In and out, isn’t that what you said?” Brandon asked, in a complaining manner. I would have expected that tone from Ashley or Derek.
“Tell you what, Brandon. I want you to take everyone off of this rock, get them back to Sydney’s boat. Hopefully, Yvette won’t know anything is up before tomorrow night, and y’all will be far enough away to be safe, but I’m not going anywhere. I know what I told all of you, and I absolutely meant it when I said it. But, coming back here and seeing all of this again…there’s no way that I can let this go on if there’s any possible chance that I can stop it.”
“There is livestock behind the estate. If I can feed, I will be strong enough to stand beside you,” Garvin stood and proudly said.
“No way am I leaving here without you,” Bo said stepping over by me. “Not after the shit that I’ve seen. This place is history.”
“Sorry brother, I’m with them,” Derek added.
“I just don’t want to lose anyone. It’s because of what I saw, that makes me so afraid of this woman,” Brandon admitted stepping closer. “What can I do?”
“Give me a big hug, because you just scared me really bad,” I replied pulling him into my arms, with every one of my little bloodbreeders joining in.
The three boys—Bo, Brandon, and Derek, found two more cots to put in the cell with Sydney, and an additional two for the outer room. The same room that had been the torture room. Tanda, who was feeling much better and looking more like herself by the second, was going to be using one. Garvin, who still looked as grim as he did when we found him, was already lying on the other. Afterwards the boys slipped out the front door in search of one of the animals that Garvin had told them about in the stalls behind the estate. I was laying out our weapons on the table that Annabel used for her torture devises. That way upon their return, the boys and I could load up, before going to the upper levels. We had no idea of just how many we we’re going to be up against. Once I was finished, I told the others that I was going to wait at the top of the stairs for the boys.
“Don’t leave,” Tanda said sitting up. “Please, don’t leave us again.”
“Oh baby,” I replied going to her. “I’m just going to check on the others, but Ashley’s going to watch over you until I come back. I swear, I will not leave this place without you.”
“I love you,” she stated, throwing her arms around my neck. “You are my mother now.”
“And you are my little girl, forever and ever.”
I laid my head down on top of hers and looked over at Garvin. He smiled back from his cot, wiping the tears that had rolled down his cheek. I rose up and kissed her forehead, and told her that I had to go. She gave me the most beautiful smile that I had ever seen on her in return and it shot a spark right through my heart. I got up and walked over to Ashley and hugged her just as I had Tanda. I put my hand on the top of Garvin’s head and knew if I spoke even one word at that moment, that I would lose it. I felt, in a small way, that I was with my siblings back on the farm. How was it that they could remind me so much of my own family?
“I’ll be back soon.”
I left before I became emotional all over again. I stood waiting at the top of the stairs for what seemed like hours, thinking that the boys had found themselves some trouble, when I heard the click of the door knob. I held my breath, while holding my knife ready, just in case it wasn’t one of mine. The door slowly opened and Derek slid in backward, never seeing me in the darkness of the corner. Once the door was closed I placed my hand on his shoulder, causing him to scream out and bolt down the stairs.
“Derek…Derek, it’s me,” I called out, laughing at the same time.
“Renee?” he asked turning around. “That scared me half to death. I thought that nutty old lady done had me.”
“I tried to be quiet, but that was so funny,” I continued to giggle.
“That depends on who’s doing the laughing here. Gee, I could’ve had a heart attack,” he claimed holding his chest.
“Now I wouldn’t take it that far,” I said, putting my arm around his neck. “Where are the others?”
“Oh shit! I’m supposed to go back out and let them know the coast is clear,” he replied, running back to the door just in time to get knocked in the face, as Bo and Brandon were coming through it.
“What the hell were you doing?” Brandon asked the second the door was closed, not seeing me.
“I think…”
“Holy shit you scared me,” Brandon hissed out, cutting my statement short.
“That’s what happened to me,” Derek replied, laughing so hard he was holding his stomach.
Derek picked on Brandon all the way back down and I didn’t say a word, because of the way that I laughed at him. Both boys, Brandon and Bo, had come back in carrying a small goat. “Why didn’t you get a pig, the blood tastes so much better?” Derek asked.
“Can you not answer that one yourself? Let’s go, he can think on it, on the way down.” Bo rolled his eyes and then winked at me.
Bo made sure to give Garvin and Tanda their fill first. Then the rest of us had ours. Now that Tanda was fresh and clean and had her second feeding, she was looking radiant. Derek couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. It was the one thing that we had all taken notice of.
“Hey Derek, have you thought about why we didn’t bring back a pig?” Bo asked, watching the way he was watching her.
“Too heavy for ya?” he remarked, acting like he was fiddling with his knife.
“No silly,” Tanda said smiling. “They make far too much noise. Haven’t you ever tried to pick up a pig?”
“Well, sure,” Derek stuttered, as a fine rose tint covered his cheeks. “I’ve carried plenty.”
Bo and Brandon burst out laughing, and Ashley just turned her back making snorting noises. Garvin was sitting up on the side of his cot looking at us like we had lost our minds. Here we were, about to face death itself, and we were all just laughing it up. I was going to explain to him, or at least try, about how it was sometimes better to joke around, because it eased the nerves. As soon as I opened my mouth, I lost my own composer and started laughing with the rest. We all recalled the conversation that we had with Derek on the boat, about him one day becoming smitten with a girl. Now, seeing him with moon shaped eyes looking at Tanda and seemingly being tongue tied, was more than enough to break us all out into laughter.
“It’s a long story, Garvin,” I said, standing up and rubbing the top of Derek’s head. “He always cracks us up.”
“I did not see what was so funny,” he innocently replied.
“Once you get to know everyone, you will,” I said, then softly clapped my hands together. “I have a plan and I think we need to put it into action, before the sun decides to make its appearance.”
Fortunately there was an antique clock hanging on the foyer wall, and Bo had noticed the time when they came back in about thirty minutes ago, which put it around three a.m.. I explained how we needed to make sure that the foyer and second floor was empty, or as Derek had so boldly put it, ‘dead’ before we took the third and final floor—Yvette’s personal space. The one thing that we didn’t need was someone coming up behind us. Garvin tried to argue, wanting to stand with us against his Mistress, for causing pain to his sister. I explained that he could barely wash himself, much less swing a weapon trying to defend himself. He agreed reluctantly, but took pride in the fact that he would be guarding the two young girls left in his care.
“You don’t want me to go?” Ashley asked with tears welling up.
“It’s not that, honey. I don’t want you getting hurt. Besides, what if Sydney wakes up? He isn’t going to have a clue who Garvin and Tanda are,” I added, hoping it would give her comfort.
“Yeah, he might think something happened to us and that they’re going to hurt him again,” Bo said, knowing exactly where I was coming from.
> “Garvin, do you think that she knows we’re here?” I asked.
“If she had, you would have already known.”
“Then if everyone is okay with the plan, then I say let’s do it,” I said, looking directly at Ashley.
“Here take my gun for good luck, yours takes too long to load,” she smiled, handing it to me. “I know it only holds two bullets, but you never know.”
“I forgot you even had this little thing,” I smiled looking down at the small handgun. “Keep this door locked until you hear us banging on the outside of it. Garvin is a strong man and won’t let anything happen to you, so you listen to him, okay?”
She nodded, too afraid to talk, or the tears that were threatening to fall would come freely. I gave her a quick hug, as well as the other two and we closed the door to the torture room. Once we heard the lock slide into place, the four us turned for the stairs. Once we were at the top, Bo put the torch in the slot by the door and opened it enough to peek out, then said, “The two across the hall.” Then he was out the door. I started after him, but felt someone pulling me back by the back of my shirt.
“He knows what he’s doing, Renee. Trust him,” Brandon said nodding once.
I didn’t respond, I just went back to the door and held it open enough to listen for any sign of a ruckus. A few minutes later Bo slipped back in. He told us that there was a door that led down a hall of some sort, but that it was too dark to see just how far. The other one was locked. He also saw several doors on the other side and one under the staircase. We decided to see what was down the hall first.
“Derek, I want you to stay here and keep an eye open,” I said as we we’re about to make our way out the door.
“Why?” he asked closing the door. “I don’t want to wait here.”
“Someone needs to watch our back and who better, Derek?” I asked in reply.
Bloodbreeders: The Revenge Page 13
