Blood Descendants (St. Clair Vampires Book 1)

by Beverly Toney

  “Will you stop?” asked the familiar voice of my best friend, Tabitha. “It’s only me!”

  “Only you?!” My heart was pumping so hard it felt like it would jump out of my body. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Shhh, Cheyenne”, Tabitha hissed. “Someone is watching your house and I really need you to be quiet. I am going to crawl over to the window and get a closer look. Don’t you dare move!”

  I felt Tabitha’s weight lift off of me and lost sight of her in the dark. Someone was watching my house? Crap. And what was Tabitha doing in my bedroom at…2:00 AM? This was crazy, but I lay as still as possible as I heard a scrape on the window sill and I stayed there until Tabitha returned to kneel on the side of my bed.

  “They’re gone and we have to go, too. You need to get changed.” Tabitha waltzed over to my closet and threw a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt to me as I climbed off of the bed.

  “Tabitha, what the hell is going on?” I whispered, a little shook up.

  “Just hurry. We don’t have much time.”

  “I just heard my mom…” I choked on the words and started to cry.

  Tabitha seemed frantic, which was starting to be normal. I noticed she was in identical black jeans and black hoodie as I got dressed. Tabitha opened my bedroom door and poured herself into the hallway; disappearing like a shadow. I met her at the bottom of the stairs and we slipped out the rear entrance and into the garage where we waited.

  “Ta…” I started.

  “Look,” Tabitha interrupted. “I will tell you everything once we get to my house. But, what I will tell you now is this...your life depends on us getting out of this garage in the next few seconds without being heard or seen. Can you just trust me?”

  Tabitha had been my best friend for longer than anyone else ever had and right then I needed someone to trust. I had just heard my mom betray me and I was a mess. So, I nodded my acknowledgment and kept my mouth shut as I watched her watch the street from a crack in the garage door. From her stooped position, she reminded me of a dog guarding her pup, and I was that pup. Something about this was primal.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Tabitha grabbed my hand and forced me to crouch as we ran past the side of my Jeep. We ran down the driveway to the street, avoiding street lights, until we reached Tabitha’s car. She opened the passenger side door but the overhead light didn’t come on. Once inside, I realized that we were not alone and prepared to scream when the familiar feeling of Tabitha’s hand covered my mouth for the second time in one night.

  “He’s with us. Now stay down.”

  Tabitha lay on the back seat and I tried to tuck myself into the floor space of the passenger side as we sped down the street. The guy driving was in all black, like us, but he had on dark sunglasses in the middle of the night. This was not good.

  Tabitha’s house was about 5 miles from mine and we drove through the empty streets at an alarming rate of speed. We pulled into her circular driveway minutes later and piled out of the car, rushing towards the front door. The mysterious driver held the door open for me and I saw him bow slightly as Tabitha passed in front of him.

  “Did he just bow at you?” I asked.

  “Huh?” she shrugged, evading my question. “His name is Solomon. Solomon, meet Cheyenne”, Tabitha said from over her shoulder as she ran up the stairs toward the second floor.

  “Hurry, Cheyenne, we don’t have much time.”

  I ran after Tabitha, following her as she entered her family’s library. This was my favorite place in her house. All of these authentic first editions were amazing and I loved the smell of leather and old paper. The walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookcases made of cherry wood and pine. There were no windows or harsh over head lights. Instead, there were small Tiffany lamps throughout the large room. I knew it was to help preserve the books. I didn’t care, however, how much light was in the room. I just loved it.

  It took me a moment to realize that we were not alone. As soon as I dragged my attention away from the wall of books, I saw them. There were twelve, maybe fifteen people in the room aside from me and Tabitha. Solomon was standing at the door like a sentry and I began to back my way into a corner.

  Tabitha appeared at my elbow to intercept my retreat and looked up at me with sympathy as she led me to the large table and helped me sit down. The people at the table hardly took notice of my arrival. There were a few of them who made eye contact and gave an acknowledging head nod, but the information on the table was obviously more important than I was.

  “Err um,” a voice from the head of the table started. He was a 6’4” man who looked like a wide receiver. His skin was about three shades lighter than mine but we had the same color eyes. His bald head and extra white teeth made him the most gorgeous and most dangerous looking man I had ever seen in my entire life. It was as if I was looking at an African god and yet I wasn’t the slightest bit afraid of or attracted to him. Strange.

  “So,” he began, “as you all know we are here for an untimely extraction. The subject, Cheyenne, has been successfully extracted from the pawn of the Oleander hive and will be transported to home base. Any questions?”

  No one moved. No one had any questions about what he had just said. Everyone at the table, including Tabitha, just sat there and took what was said as if it was the most natural thing he could say. I was not a subject to be extracted and transported. I had questions!

  “Yes, there’s a question!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  I stood up and slammed my hands on the table, thinking only too late that it would hurt like heck. To my surprise, the table gave slightly and I removed my hands to discover that I had left hand prints in the wood. I looked down at my hands, sure that I would see cuts and lacerations, only to find them as smooth as ever. What is the world was going on?

  I sat back down on the chair so hard that my teeth chattered and I began to shake. Someone from the other side of the table was saying something about shock and the need to lay me down. Another person said that they may need to call Efia, Tabitha's adoptive mother, and postpone transport. All I could concentrate on, however, were the two hand prints in the table.

  A noise in the distance grew insistent until I turned and found that it was Tabitha saying something over and over again. Slowly, I began to recognize that she was saying my name and trying to get me to drink some tea that was placed in front of me.

  “Tab, what’s going on?” My voice sounded shaken and wounded. I had no idea who to turn to and who to trust, but I was praying that I had ended up on the right side of this nightmare.

  “Just drink the tea. We will talk in the morning.”

  The tea smelled like lemons, tasted like honey and was soothing to my throat. After a few sips I was able to be walked to Tabitha’s room where I promptly fell onto the bed and went to sleep.

  Chapter 2

  As soon as my eyes closed I was in the bowls of a ship. There was loud moaning and screaming coming from my fellow passengers and I tried to stop the bile rising from my stomach. The smell of disease and feces mixed with urine and blood assaulted my nostrils as I climbed down from a bed of straw with a mind to investigate. I could only move if I stayed in a crouched position and I had to maneuver heavy chains on my ankles. I stopped and stared down at the chains and wondered how I had gotten to this place. I could see movement from the far corner of the ship and began to make my way toward it. Stepping over discarded bedding and waste as I went, I made it to the corner in time to see a man with long black hair biting the neck of another.

  My scream was lost in the screams of the man being bitten. I tried to turn and run but there was no room for me to stand up and the chains were slowing me down. I finally reached the ladder that would lead me to the deck of the ship and the help I knew was there when a hand grabbed my leg and pulled me back down.

  I woke up gasping for air and kicking my foot wildly. I was wrapped in the soft sheets and plush comforter of Tabitha’s h
uge bed. I had had dreams like this before. I was always the same girl encountering the same monstrous man. Each scenario was more vivid than the last and it always took me several minutes to recover. This dream was no different. I still felt his cold hard hand on my ankle; right above where I had been shackled.

  It was time for me to get some answers so I swung my legs out of bed, only then noticing that I was in a long black nightgown. I didn’t remember changing but I was sure that Tabitha had helped. I looked around for my clothes, but only found a robe to match the night gown.

  I pulled on the robe and walked out of the room. Sunlight streamed in from a window to reveal the ornately decorated hallway. The house looked like it was straight out of the 16th century and I would never get bored walking through it. However, I was on a mission and didn’t take my normal interest in all of the antique items I was passing. I still couldn’t believe that my mom had been about to sell me out and that I was somehow a subject to be extracted. Unbelievable.

  I was stomping through the house looking for Tabitha when voices drifted from the alcove just outside the library. I ducked behind a life-size vase and peered around the corner to see Tabitha and the gorgeous man from last night in a heated discussion.

  “Jordan,” Tabitha pleaded. “I can’t just keep her in the dark like this. Aside from everything else, she really is my best friend.”

  “You know that it is not your place to tell her anything. Efia will make that call. We simply…” Jordan’s sentence trailed off and he tilted his head up slightly.

  From where I stood, it looked like he had just sniffed the air. Subconsciously, I smelled my armpits to make sure I wasn't offensive. When I was satisfied that I didn’t stink, I looked back up to see Tabitha’s blue eyes staring at me. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t jump and let out a little squeak, but I was embarrassed that I had gotten caught and I should have known better.

  “Hi,” we both said at the same time. We giggled at the synchronicity which drew a gruff sound from the man standing behind Tabitha. She stiffened and turned toward him, a little bit embarrassed by our act of immaturity.

  I looked at the gorgeous man that shared the same eyes as me and tried to muster up a smile. He still looked like an African god and Tabitha was acting like one of his worshipers. It was the first time I had ever seen her truly interested in someone. I wondered how long they had known each other and if he felt the same way about her. I immediately became protective of her feelings and I hoped he didn’t hurt her the way older guys did. My fears where squashed when Jordan placed his hand at the small of Tabitha’s back and kissed the top of her head.

  “So, Cheyenne,” Jordan started, “you must be hungry.”

  “I could eat,” I replied lamely.

  Jordan led me and Tabitha into the kitchen and began looking in the fridge. I sat next to Tabitha at the breakfast bar and made goo goo eyes at Jordan’s back. Trying not to laugh, Tabitha swatted at me to stop just as Jordan turned and caught me. For someone so professional and sophisticated, I expected him to roll his eyes at my juvenile behavior but he surprised me. Instead of passing judgment on me, Jordan simply gave me the most amazing smile that I had ever seen and shook his head slightly. He seemed like a cool guy and I was really happy for Tabitha.

  We sat and watched as he expertly chopped and diced an assortment of vegetables and cheeses and mixed them together in a bowl. Eventually, the smell of garlic bread sticks from the oven was so thick and rich that my mouth watered. Tabitha had taken three plates out of the cabinets and set them on the counter along with the proper silverware and glasses. After about twenty minutes, the meal had come together nicely and we were able to dig in. For a regular carnivore like myself, salads were usually considered rabbit food, but this salad was amazing. I had never thought to substitute meat with avocado. When my plate was empty, I had to suppress the urge to pick up the plate and lick the homemade dressing off of it. Completely satisfied, I sat back in my chair and sighed heavily.

  “Did you enjoy your meal?” Jordan asked with a smile.

  “Yes, very much so. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, Cheyenne. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Tabitha and I have a meeting to attend in the conference area. We shouldn’t be too long.”

  And with that, I was alone. I sat at the counter for a little while longer, letting my food digest and making a mental list of all of the questions that I wanted answers for. While I waited, I went to the sink and washed all of our dishes and did my best to put them in their rightful places. After a while, I began to get antsy waiting for this secret meeting to commence. Tired of standing and pacing and sitting again, I decided to take a walk.

  Once in the hallway, I discovered that I had nowhere to go and decided to head to the massive library. The meeting was being held in a conference area so this room was empty. I ran my hands along the shelves of books wondering who had the daunting task of keeping all of them free of dusk. I touched the spine of a Tolstoy and then a Poe and a Brontë and then a Melville. If Heaven had a suburb, this was it. I would never get tired of browsing through Tabitha’s library. It was like taking a walk in history and I loved it.

  On a table in the rear of the room were three podiums with ancient books sitting on them. I stood behind the first book and saw that it was the Bible written in what I believed to be Aramaic. The letters were written with such a flourish and attention to detail that I was sure it was a priceless piece of history and kept my hands firmly behind my back. The next two books appeared to be genealogical records. One had questions about missing family members and where they may have immigrated to and when. Someone was tracking down every lead into each missing family member. It looked like it was taking several years and massive amounts of resources to get about halfway done. I was immediately envious of a person who knew this much about their family.

  The last book on the table appeared to be a descendant family tree with names and dates of birth. The book’s cover was worn leather held together by a piece of leather strap. The pages were uneven and frayed and smelled like old flowers even though something told me that I was looking at paper made from animal skin. I ran my hand over the cover and felt a sense of home. Books were kind of my thing. I turned the book over in my hands and stared at the strange bindings and seams. The book was old. Much older than anything I had ever held before. I immediately wondered if I should have gloves on.

  As I sorted through the pages of documents, I recognized the first few pages as census records from the late 1700s. There were slave ship manifests, bills of lading and ownership documents. I saw certificates of birth and receipts of sale from hundreds of years ago and all of the merchandise was human. I was looking at an historical record of how Africans were bought and sold into slavery. I continued to flip through the pages until I came to a family tree. The strange thing about the tree was that the dates of birth were wrong. They had to be. The name in the number one spot was Efia with 1768 as the date of birth. Well, I had met Tabitha’s adoptive mother and I knew that couldn't be the same woman. I realized that she must be named after a distant relative and felt immediate jealously crawl through me. I so wanted a family of my own and looking at Efia’s centuries’ worth of family documents was depressing. I looked for Tabitha’s Efia but came up empty. I decided to see if they would have entered Tabitha’s name and then I would find her adoptive mother. We were both almost 18 so I would just look for 1994.

  I rolled my finger over the page for several minutes, stopping to look at the different names and to wonder about how their lives must have been. The 1768 Efia had given birth to a daughter named Sarai, which I know is an ancient form of Sarah. Sarai had five children of her own and countless grand and great-grandchildren. I became drawn to one of Sarai’s children because her name was Pleasant. What a great name to have; Pleasant.

  Pleasant had bore three children and one of those had descendants well into modern times. I traced her linage with my finger, curious about this woman, and found that she in
deed had a descendant from modern times. I found myself looking at the entry for Pleasant’s many times over great-grandchild and blinked hard. The date I landed on was 1994 but instead of seeing any sign of Tabitha’s adoption I was seeing spots. I rubbed my eyes and looked again, sure that I had misread the document. I followed my finger to the 1994 entry once more, but Tabitha’s name was not listed under the family members born in 1994…mine was.

  I turned the page back and forth to see if there was any way I could be hallucinating, but my name was still listed there; Cheyenne (Redding) St. Clair. It must be some sort of coincidence. I prayed it was. I started to feel light headed and wondered what this meant. For starters, Tabitha had been lying to me this entire time. She had to have known that someone put my name in this book. And she took the plane ticket that my mother sent to me. Was she trying to keep me away from my mother? Was my mother related to Efia? I looked at the document again and found out that my mother’s name was listed as Zola St. Clair and that I was only one of four listed as her children. I quickly looked at the names of my siblings; Zander, Jordan and Chloe. Jordan?

  I sat down hard on the floor next to the table. If Tabitha knew that Jordan was my brother, why didn’t she tell me? And why didn’t Jordan want me to know what is going on? I stood up again, so fast, in fact, I had to steady myself on the table. I frantically traced around the document looking for Efia’s name. Aside from the Efia born in 1768, there was no entry. It was entirely possible that she had changed her name at some point, so I did not feel defeated when I came up empty. What I did feel was betrayed and lied to. I couldn’t believe that Tabitha would do this to me. She had always had my back in the past. Maybe she had another agenda. Regardless of what it was, I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.