There was no way that she would be able to free herself in time to escape, but she wondered if maybe, just maybe she could reach out to Romulus through that connection that Lord Reginald had spoken of before. She wished that she had tried to reach him last night before going for that walk.
Hadn’t Lord Reginald warned her that there was something dangerous in the air and that she should stay at home? Why hadn’t she listened? Why had she followed that strange urge to walk alone in the middle of the night when she knew that vampires and even worse things existed?
She took a deep breath. There was nothing she could do now to change what had happened last night, but at least she was only captured and not dead. If she got out of this, she promised herself that she would never allow herself to be taken prisoner ever again. She would learn everything that she could to be able to defend herself against anyone who wanted to hurt her or her family. The realization that she considered the Wolf Clan her family warmed her heart and gave her courage.
Of course, Lord Reginald and Sir Marcus would come looking for her after they had woken up, but who knew how long it would take for them to find her and what Demetrius would be able to do to her before they found her. Why hadn’t he just killed her yesterday? It would have been easy for him. But then again, he could easily kill her tonight if he felt so inclined. No, she would somehow reach Romulus, and he would find her. It was her only chance. She tried to calm down. She knew that she needed to focus.
“Romulus,” she whispered. She closed her eyes and thought back to the time the other night when she had told him to get out of her head. Maybe she could somehow reverse what she had done in order to call out to him. “I need your help.”
She gritted her teeth and concentrated. A burst of energy suddenly pulsed from her body, sending ripples through the small room. She gasped as the energy bounced back and hit her like a wave of intense heat. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as her skin crawled with the power. She tried to relax and embrace the sensation. It was like the walls of the basement were keeping her mind prisoner as well as her body. She breathed deeply and felt her mind begin to open up.
She pictured delicate tendrils of her thoughts unfurling in every direction. This time the energy did not rebound onto her. She started to feel the confines of the wall around her thoughts. It seemed impenetrable at first, but as she focused on her task, she started to feel a chink in the barrier. Her head began to pound, but still she pushed and prodded at the chink until she could feel her thoughts slip out of the confining prison.
“Romulus,” she whispered again, willing with every fiber of her being that he would somehow hear her call and come to her aid. She needed him right now.
Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. She was almost certain that she would burst, but she knew that her salvation depended on being able to reach the wolf. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out as an explosion ripped through her mind. She felt as if her entire body had suddenly caught fire with her mind at the center of the blazing inferno. She felt her consciousness begin to slip; her vision became hazy.
Somewhere in the distance, she thought she could hear a wolf howling, but before she could be certain, she passed out.
Chapter 4
Elizabeth was not the only one to hear the wolf howling. Chase frowned at the sound. He looked to the west. The sun had almost finished setting, only a brilliant sliver of the sun was still visible in the horizon. A last golden gleam retreating from a blood red sky.
“So ends another day in wrath and brooding night has come,” he said out loud. Something was going to happen tonight, something horrible. He could feel it in his bones. There was no shaking the feeling no matter what he did.
He hugged the shadows as he made his way back to his car. His dark clothes and stealthy movements made him almost invisible. He had parked in a secluded spot between the university and the abandoned orange groves. He opened the trunk and sighed at the sight that greeted him. He had never hoped more that his instincts were wrong. That he wouldn’t have to do what he was about to do. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to start again, especially considering that he didn’t have a partner.
He jumped as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the display, but he didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Hey Chase! It’s Michelle!” Her cheery voice grated on Chase’s ear. “I just wanted to let you know that Lizzy hasn’t come home yet, and she isn’t answering any of my texts either. It’s not like her at all. Anyways, it might sound weird, but just now I thought I heard a dog howling or something, and I randomly remembered that sometimes she goes and hangs out in those old orange groves across the street from West Hall. You know the ones I mean?”
Chase tried to reply, but Michelle was talking so fast that he couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
“Anyways,” Michelle continued. “She says something about it being nice a quiet or something like that. She stayed out all night a few nights ago, which, again is weird for her. I don’t know if that will help at all, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but then again I was really hung over and-”
“Thanks, Michelle,” Chase interrupted her. He didn’t have time to listen to this silly girl. His worst fears were slowly being realized.
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “Take care.” He hung up and tossed the phone into the trunk. He didn’t need it to go off at an inopportune time tonight.
A crooked smile flitted across his features. It was not the smile that Elizabeth had come to like so much. It was colder, deadlier. He took a deep breath and reached into his trunk.
It was time to go hunting.
Chapter 5
It was fully dark in the basement when Elizabeth came to again. Her head was still pounding from her attempt to reach Romulus. She wondered if her efforts had actually been successful. Had she really heard a wolf or had it only been her imagination? She squinted into the darkness, trying to get her eyes to adjust.
She sighed and rested her head against the wall behind her. Her body felt stiff from being in the same position for hours and hours. She stretched her legs in front of her, relieved that she was wearing her most comfortable pair of jeans.
She closed her eyes and tried to think positively, but it was difficult in the gloomy basement. Minutes slipped by in silence so deep that she could hear her heartbeat ringing in her ears like a drum.
Her eyes snapped open as a scratching noise and a familiar whining reached her ears.
“Romulus?” she whispered in a soft rasp. Her mouth was painfully dry. She looked towards the window at the pair of gleaming yellow eyes that looked down at her. She forced herself to breathe slowly and not get excited. She needed to be calm in order to open her mind.
With agonizing slowness, she felt her thoughts unfurl themselves and reach towards the wolf. It was a delicate process, like tuning a radio to the perfect frequency with an especially sensitive knob. With a jolt, she felt her mind connect with Romulus. She could feel the wolf’s concern and anger. He was furious at whoever had done this to her and was determined to rip them to shreds
Elizabeth thought about what had happened when she had been captured, willing the wolf to see and understand that it was Demetrius. Her head began to throb painfully. Lord Reginald and Sir Marcus were not far away. They were looking for her. Elizabeth felt like her head would burst if she didn’t break the connection soon. There was something else out there that she couldn’t quite see.
There was someone coming. Did she think it? Or Romulus? Romulus was inside her head as much as she was inside his. Memories and thoughts that did not belong to her swirled into the forefront of her mind. She was starting to forget where she ended and he began. Fear gripped her. What if she couldn’t get out? She tried to pull herself free, but
she felt herself being pulled in further. Would she be trapped with all those souls? Or would they become a part of her the way they were a part of Romulus? She was beginning to drown in the wolf’s endless sea of being.
#
Elizabeth gasped as the connection was abruptly severed. The basement door flew open and light flooded the small room.
Romulus snarled and smashed his head into the window.
Elizabeth could not hold back a scream of horror as shards of glass mingled with blood rained down on her. The wolf’s head had broken through the window, but there was no way that he would be able to fit through the small window without injuring himself further. Already blood was streaming from deep gashes in his head and muzzle.
“Romulus, no!” Elizabeth shouted hoarsely as a dark figure swept down the stairs towards her.
A velvety laugh assaulted her ears as she suppressed a sob.
“No need to worry, little girl,” Demetrius’ voice was like a gentle but still unwanted caress. Elizabeth could not help but shudder at the sound of it.
“I’ll protect you from the big bad wolf. See? The beast can’t get you in here.” He said “beast” as if it were a curse word. Romulus yelped in pain and disappeared into the night.
“I’m more worried about the ‘beast’ in here.” Elizabeth tried to put the same amount of hatred into the word as she spoke.
Demetrius sneered down at her. “You’ll never be able to use your voice like I can, idiot girl,” he said. “So don’t even try it. And you should thank me. Another few seconds and your mind would have been trapped inside that thing.”
“Better than being trapped in here with you,” Elizabeth said defiantly. She would have spat at him, but she had little saliva to spare.
“You need to learn some manners, bitch.” Demetrius’ eyes blazed with anger. “I could have destroyed you a thousand times over.”
As he spoke, Elizabeth felt ice cold razors cut into every part of her body. He laughed as she writhed in agony.
“What do you want with me?” she gasped, determined not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out again.
Demetrius frowned. The pain began to recede.
“Strange,” he said more to himself than to her.
Elizabeth forced herself to breathe deeply, trying to slow her galloping heart.
“You’re an especially stubborn brat,” Demetrius said. He looked down at her with a curious expression on his face. “You remind me of her.”
Elizabeth had to ask, “who?”
Demetrius ignored the question and held up a water bottle.
“You should drink,” he said. He unscrewed the lid and tipped it into Elizabeth’s mouth. She swallowed it greedily, but he poured it slowly, so she wouldn’t drown. It was like the sweet nectar of life. It could have been poisoned or drugged for all she knew, but at this point, she didn’t care.
“Who do I remind you of,” Elizabeth asked again, panting ever so slightly.
“Lady Anya Wolfrick,” Demetrius said at last.
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“You look nothing like her of course,” he said looking away from her. Much of the bitterness in his expression faded as he spoke. “She was much prettier than you. Beautiful in fact. Eyes like the sky. Hair like sunlight. She brought sweet memories of things that I have not seen in such a long time, but you do have some of that courage of hers. It is both admirable and vexing.”
“From what I’ve heard, you didn’t find her so admirable,” Elizabeth said, surprised at her own daring.
Demetrius chuckled.
Elizabeth gritted her teeth in preparation for pain that never came.
“Everyone loved Anya in their own way,” he said. His voice was completely sincere. “Including me.”
Chapter 6
It did not take long for Chase to find his quarry in the orange groves. He crept through the trees like a shadow.
“I know you’re there,” the tall vampire that he was stalking growled. He was unarmed and seemed unconcerned about being followed. “You might as well come out and face me.”
Chase stepped out from behind the bush-like tree that he had been crouching behind. He drew the sword that he had strapped to his back in a fluid motion as he stood before his prey.
“So all hunters have to wear black trench coats?” the vampire asked with a smirk. “Is it a uniform or something?”
Chase smiled crookedly in response. “Something like that, vampire,” he said. He twirled his sword experimentally, testing the balance and letting his muscles remember what it had been like to wield such a weapon. “It helps us hide in the shadows and conceal some of our weapons.”
“But you only have that sword tonight,” the vampire said with a shrug. “And your stealth leaves something to be desired.”
“I’m a little out of practice,” Chase confessed. He cursed inwardly for admitting his weakness. He needed to be more on his guard.
“I can tell,” the vampire said, his smirk deepening. “And you seem to be missing a partner.”
“Not all of us need to hunt in pairs,” Chase said.
“But you do, especially if you really think to fight me.”
“This sword is all I need to defeat you.”
The vampire chuckled. “You carry yourself with the confidence of a slayer, but you are reckless to come against me,” he said. “Even with that Silversmith’s blade that you carry. I can’t help but wonder where you might have stolen that from.”
“I’m flattered that you recognize my title as a Slayer,” Chase replied, feeling his confidence grow as he spoke. “I am the youngest in a century, but I wonder that this blade doesn’t impress you. It was passed down in my family for centuries. There’s only been one vampire who ever defeated the one who bore this weapon.”
“That was me,” the vampire said. His eyes were like chips of blue ice. “If you’re not careful, I’ll do it again. You see, I am Sir Marcus of the Wolves, though perhaps you would know me as the Kin-Slayer.”
Chase felt a chill run down his spine. Surely this foul creature was lying to him. The Kin-Slayer was a myth.
“It is true,” Sir Marcus said as if he could read Chase’s thoughts. “I am the one who ripped Aldo’s heart from his chest while his sons watched and then cut them to pieces with Aldo’s own sword.”
“Even if the legend is true,” Chase said. “There’s no way it could have been you.” Part of him knew that the vampire was telling the truth, but he did not want to believe it. It could easily have been a clever ruse. “You aren’t that powerful now,” he continued with more bravado than he actually felt. “How could you have been powerful enough to defeat the Silversmith over 600 years ago?”
“The swords of the Silversmith are merely tools,” Sir Marcus said with a careless shrug. “The true importance is the one wielding the weapon. I defeated Aldo because I was more skilled than him.”
“That’s not the story I heard,” Chase replied. He was getting tired of talking about old legends. He had more pressing things on his mind. He began to walk sideways, his sword held at the ready, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Marcus mirrored his steps, but his arms remained casually at his sides.
“I could care less about the story that you heard,” Sir Marcus said darkly. “I want to know who you are, and why you’re here.”
Chase did not want to answer, but he could feel the vampire pressing against his mind, compelling him to speak. Clearly Sir Marcus was much more powerful than Chase had first thought.
“I am Chase Brennan, Slayer of the Rat King,” he said in spite of his efforts to remain silent. “My business here is my own.”
Sir Marcus threw back his head and laughed. “So you’re the one that killed that old crackpot?” he said. “Well done! No wonder you are so confident that y
ou can beat me.” He frowned and cocked his head to the side. “You must also be the Chase that Elizabeth has been telling me about. I guess I was right about what was ‘off’ about you.”
“So you know, Elizabeth,” Chase said. He sounded calm, but a spark of anger had ignited in his chest at the thought of Lizzy being anywhere near this monster. He gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“Yes, I do,” Sir Marcus said. “She’s really a sweet, delightful girl, and I think she’s rather fond of you.” His tone was light and cheerful; it fanned the spark in Chase’s chest into a flame. “She was talking about you quite a bit last night.”
“Really now?” Chase’s voice rose to a shout as hot fury began to course through his veins. “She didn’t mention anything about you!” Without warning, he leapt forward, his sword flashing towards Marcus’ neck.
“Not bad,” Sir Marcus said. The sword that he had used to block the blow was a twin of the one that Chase held.
Chase had not seen him draw it. He hadn’t even seen that he was armed.
“Elizabeth never mentioned that you were this aggressive,” Sir Marcus continued casually. “And a swordsman too for that matter. I like that.”
“Where is she,” Chase snarled as their blades met again with a deafening clash. He could feel that vampire’s power working to break into his mind.
Marcus blocked every blow with a graceful ease, but still Chase attacked savagely. In one nimble movement, Marcus leapt well out of the range of Chase’s blade.
Chase tried not to show how relieved he felt by this. He kept his sword up as he tried to catch his breath. He hadn’t fought since his father’s death, and he had to focus so much energy on keeping the vampire out of his mind that he knew perfectly well that he was in no shape to fight this creature.
“What did you do to her,” he tried to cover his panting. He had drastically underestimated his opponent. Sir Marcus was indeed far more powerful that Chase had realized.
Marcus raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘what did I do to her?’ Why do you think I would do her any harm?”
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