Marik approached me slowly until he was beside me, remaining behind to watch me while I waited for James.
“Where is he?” I demanded, not only furious, but scared. I paced back and forth on the ground. Marik, thankfully, didn’t utter a word. He probably had enough on his mind without the prospect of another altercation with me.
I wrung my fingers together, hating the darkness, as well as the silence.
Please let him be okay, I prayed.
I saw a blur coming back our way and braced myself for what it might be. But it was only James.
Running, I threw my arms around his neck, so thankful to see him and relieved that nothing bad happened.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking panicked.
“She didn’t do any damage, James. I’m fine. Are you all right? You scared me half to death!”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how she could get away from me,” he started.
“My boy, Audrey is using magic I have not seen in centuries. It will be impossible for only a small group of us to defeat her. I must consult with the others.” Roland approached us so quietly he was completely unnoticed. I was shocked to see this old vampire actually appear slightly concerned.
“Do you believe us now, then?” James asked. His tone was harsh and a bit more curt than I would have dared address Roland.
“You are right to be angry, James. But you must remain calm. I see your frustration, however there are others who will judge it as insolence and entitlement. You must be sure to control your emotions in front of them,” Roland reprimanded him lightly.
“It will be best to communicate through our secure channels now, rather than bringing everyone together. Perhaps this attack will open the eyes of some others, just as it did for me. For now, we must get to safety and discuss all of our options.” Roland turned away from James and took me by surprise when he gently held my hands in his. “Do not be afraid.” He smiled before he vanished.
I frowned, wondering if he somehow knew my mission. It was impossible, of course, but perhaps at his age, he could sense all kinds of things.
James observed me for a moment before pulling me towards him. “We need to find the others.”
I nodded and noticed Marik had silently made his exit without a word. We began heading back to the barn.
Caroline was outside with Riley and I ran towards them, relieved to see they were safe and sound.
“Nick’s below.” I heard Caroline’s voice behind me and felt James touching the small of my back, gently letting me know that he would return.
“You guys, okay?” I asked.
“Of course,” Caroline smiled. “Ry-guy even got a drop on one of the wolves.”
“What?” I panicked, thinking he had been in the middle of the fight for far too long if that were truly the case.
“She’s exaggerating. It was pure luck,” he smiled, although he was clearly proud of himself.
“Could you teach me how to stab someone?” I asked Caroline quietly. “I would like to defend myself, but I’m not quite sure how to use a weapon, you know, just for when…” I trailed off as she watched me knowingly.
“Yes, it’s harder than it seems if you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ll figure out how to work with you, Ariya.” Her voice was so low, it was hard to make out what she said.
Riley began to add something, but was interrupted by James and Nick emerging from the barn with Marik.
“Get to safety and await my instructions,” Marik demanded. He seemed distraught and lost as he looked off into the distance. I watched him, knowing he was aware of my eyes on him. For a traitor, he was putting on quite an act. He glanced over at me from the side before walking off and disappearing from sight.
“We have to go.” James interlaced his fingers with mine reassuringly. “We’ll regroup with everyone and figure out our next steps. At least, now they believe this threat is very real. To attack a meeting like that! It’s never happened before.”
“Then maybe it needed to.” I felt bad as soon as I said it. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Two of ours are dead. Many wolves died too and some were taken prisoners.”
Great. Now I felt even guiltier for thinking my previous thoughts.
We walked in silence towards our car before driving out into the night.
Finding the time to train with Caroline for my final showdown with Audrey proved to be extremely difficult. We eventually made our way back to Colorado, but slowly, and were awaiting word on what our next move would be. War seemed likely, but no definitive plans had been set into motion yet. The holding pattern that had become our way of life now seemed like it would never end.
Nick let Riley move about freely, and there were no threats or attacks on him, which brought me some peace. He even planned a trip to Mineral Point to meet with Helen for dinner and potentially gather intelligence. I thought it was way too dangerous, but the others seemed more than convinced it was fine. Especially since school was still in session and Helen didn’t mention that her sister was worried or in any danger.
I was completely out of the loop on what was happening between the vampires and the wolves. I had no idea what our next steps were, or where we’d end up. With my mind so distracted and having no skills in weaponry that could allow me to beat Audrey if we did find her, I didn’t really mind being stuck here for a while longer. At least until I managed to develop some expertise with the dagger to complete my final mission.
Caroline and I resorted to doing a lot of “shopping.” By shopping, I mean training. Telling the boys that we were going out to shop was the easiest way to sneak out and away from them undetected. They simply rolled their eyes whenever we mentioned we were heading out again, but left us alone and never asked questions.
“Cantaloupes and watermelons,” Caroline laughed as she tossed some fruit around in the air.
“I’m sorry, what?” I laughed, staring at her juggling skills.
“Hard exterior, soft interior. This will help you learn what’s required to finish Audrey. Don’t let the hard exterior block your knife from penetrating her body.”
I stared at the fruit, thinking how hard could it be? as I held the dagger firmly in my hand.
“Try it,” Caroline said, somehow sensing my doubt at this meaningless drill.
I jabbed the cantaloupe only to see a small dent in it. I stared back at Caroline who was smugly watching me with her arms folded across her chest.
“See?” she said. “Hold the dagger like this.” She adjusted my grip on the object I had to become more intimate with in order to succeed in my purpose. It felt so uncomfortable at first.
“It’s important to follow through by throwing your weight into the jab. Don’t let the resistance of the outer layer discourage you.” Caroline nodded at me to try again.
“Thank goodness the spell will kill her and not the dagger alone,” I muttered.
“It’s better to be safe and get a good, deep, penetrating stab in first, though. Come on! You’re getting better!” she cheered.
I was getting better, at least now I could break through the rind, but I had to work harder if I really intended to get a good, solid hold on the dagger when I stabbed it into Audrey. When we first found the dagger, I was so preoccupied with my death that I failed to ask, or truly think about how I would accomplish Audrey’s demise. I had to do the actual deed itself, without worrying about the outcome.
After what felt like our millionth session, we headed back home. Caroline ran off to grab some dresses from a local store if only to convince the boys of our story. When we returned, both James and Nick barely noticed our arrival. They were hunched over a document, but the phone on the table was on speaker, allowing me to hear the voices on the other end. It sounded like Roland and Marik were involved in the conversation.
“There has been no activity near us,” Nick commented, turning and smiling at Caroline’s return.
“It has been too quiet, I fear,” Marik’s voice repli
ed from the other end.
We left the boys in the living room and walked back towards the bedrooms to find Riley on the phone as well. He smiled and waved us in.
“I understand,” he said sweetly.
Caroline and I turned to each other and giggled. “Ohhhh, Helen,” we mouthed while making kissy faces at him.
He rolled his eyes and turned his back to us. “We’ll figure something out. What did you say they told her?”
He paused, listening to Helen’s response, still keeping his back to us. Caroline threw the dresses on the ground and sat in a chair, while I perched on the edge of his bed and we both waited.
“Yeah, that’s crazy. Call me in a few days if everything works out. Otherwise, I’ll meet you at home. I mean… that is, if you want me to,” he stammered adorably. “Yeah? Okay, great! Bye.”
He turned slowly to us, rolling his eyes. “Why are you always so difficult?”
“It’s so easy to be difficult, Riley,” Caroline giggled.
“What’s up?” I asked, noticing a trace of dejection in him.
“Apparently, there was some kind of freak chemical spill in Mineral Point; and the college as well as the surrounding areas of town will be shut down for at least a week. They’ve asked everyone to leave while they test the air quality.”
Caroline stood up, looking pensive before running out of the room.
“What was that about?” Riley asked me.
“No idea. A chemical spill?” I said, still quite surprised. “That seems strange. I didn’t realize there were any chemical plants around the area.”
“There aren’t,” James came into the room, kissing my cheek before continuing. “I think we have a problem. The wolves must be trying to get our attention. Clearing out the entire town, which is, coincidentally, conveniently close to Audrey’s last known location, seems extremely strange.”
“No one thought to check there already?” I asked.
“Marik told us it was checked but nothing was found,” Nick said curtly. “We should have searched it ourselves,” he said to James.
“And leave the others behind? No, we’ve had to play along so that we don’t raise any suspicion. Going behind Marik’s back wouldn’t have been a good move, Nick.”
Then, addressing the others, he added, “We have to call Roland and Marik. We still have a lot to discuss, but at least now we know, we’re definitely leaving soon.” James motioned to Nick as they left the room.
“So, if they have our attention, does that mean it’s time?” I looked at Caroline curiously.
She nodded.
Riley was watching us intently. “Time? For what? And don’t think I haven’t noticed you two sneaking out to go shopping. Ariya hates shopping. What is really going on?” he asked.
Caroline peeked out the door for a moment and started to close it once she heard the boys’ voices using the phone again. She sat on the bed, motioning me to join her. I nodded. After everything Riley had done for us, I didn’t have any secrets from him.
“I saw Ingrid while we were in Germany. She gave me the instructions for using the weapon.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” Riley asked.
“She told me I was the only one who could defeat Audrey. And it had to be me who ended her.” I glanced up at Riley’s face, nervous for a difficult reaction.
“And you kept it a secret because the Dynamic Duo out there wouldn’t let you anywhere near her so that you could actually do it,” he concluded.
I nodded. “Caroline has been teaching me how to fight, and hopefully, succeed. Hence, all the fake shopping trips.”
“Makes perfect sense. How in the world are you going to distract James long enough to find Audrey and do this though?” he asked.
“We have no idea,” I said, instantly feeling defeated as soon as I thought about how this could actually work.
“We have to figure something out though, and soon. If this is the signal we have been waiting for, forces are going to gather in Mineral Point; and we won’t have much more time,” Caroline informed us.
We sat in silence, waiting for James and Nick to return and tell us what the next stage of this tedious battle preparation would be. The wolves were apparently prepared to end it, and ready or not, it was also time to face my own end.
“I’ll be back,” Caroline said as she rose and headed out towards the living room.
“Is there no other way?” Riley asked quietly, taking my hand.
“I’m going to be okay. Everything will work out,” I said as reassuringly as I could. After all, everything works out fine if I succeed, just not necessarily for me.
“I don’t believe you, Ariya. Something else is on your mind.” He stared into my eyes, searching for something that I couldn’t tell him.
“There’s no other way. Audrey will destroy everyone and everything. I am the one who can do this. I can save us all.”
“As long as you really are saving us all. I know better than to argue with you on this. Promise me that you’re going to be okay and I’ll let it go.”
I cupped Riley’s face in my hands. “I promise,” I smiled. He watched me a moment longer before sighing and backing away.
“I guess you’ll need my brains, and perhaps my brawn, too in order to come up with a plan.” He busied himself around the room, not looking at me again until I started laughing.
“Glad to have you onboard,” I said.
We headed towards the living room, eager to hear the latest news from James and Nick. They were still huddled over the phone when we walked in, but the conversation was ending.
“It’s all set, then,” James said as he stood up and disconnected his call. “We’re going to Mineral Point.”
“Is Audrey there?” I asked.
“Most likely. We’re sending scouts ahead to spy on her and see if we can figure out what she wants. In the meantime, we’ll all gather quietly in the town where it’s open and clear as we figure out the next steps.”
“Will Roland support us?”
“He’ll have to if it’s truly war. He knows they won’t be safe from it, even if they manage to avoid it in the beginning,” Nick responded. “Especially after everything that’s happened in their presence. A lot of them are feeling like no one is safe after the latest attack.”
I turned away from the others, gazing out the massive windows that showcased the extraordinary woods surrounding us. I remembered when we were attacked here. Now, it felt like a lifetime ago. The Protectors easily fended off every attack, and every plan. The only time I was endangered was when I was kidnapped, and even then, they figured out a way to get me back. They would, no doubt, succeed again and I’d step up and figure out how to find the time I needed to finish Audrey off.
“We’ll head out in the morning,” James told the others. I felt him approaching me from behind before he wrapped me up in his arms. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you since we arrived.” He kissed me on the neck as he spoke.
I turned to face him, seeing that the room had quickly cleared, and stood on my toes to kiss his cheek. “I’ve missed you.”
He took me by the hand, pulling me in the direction of our room. “We have all night, now,” he winked. “You will need to pack, of course, so maybe I’ll let you rest for a bit.”
I went flying through the air but landed on the bed softly, since he not only tossed me in the air, but also caught me, and ever so gently and gracefully. I giggled, letting down my guard and ignoring my fears in this special moment with him. I didn’t want anything to distract me from what could turn out to be one of the last peaceful nights we spent together.
He kissed me with passion and fierceness, conveying how much he missed our alone time together.
“Where have you been lately, my love? You seem distant.” He tugged a strand of hair behind my ear and lifted my chin to see my eyes.
“I’m worried for you. For all of us.”
“You have nothing to fear, Ariya. Nothing will happen to you.
As long as I’m alive, you never need to be afraid. And if something should happen, which is very unlikely, Nick and Caroline will protect you.” He seemed so calm.
“Are you never afraid?” I asked tersely. I was getting frustrated at how he always told me I shouldn’t worry about him.
“I have something to fight for. Something much stronger than a sense of duty. Nothing will keep us apart, Ariya.” He kissed me again, pulling my body closer to his as he knotted his fingers into my hair and held me in place. The strength behind his words and love I felt for him were overpowering. I couldn’t breathe so I let his fire consume me.
“I love you,” I whispered against his lips.
“Not as much as I love you.” He wrapped me up and melted all my worry away. His kisses grew more urgent, and we needed each other more than ever. The time spent discussing the future was over. We needed to live for the moment and enjoy tonight and being together in order to remind ourselves what we were fighting for.
I tugged at his shirt and let him know that I was finished teasing, and desperate for more. We crashed into each other harder and his love carried me away from everything else, if only for this one night.
Mineral Point hadn’t changed in the few months we’d been gone. The smells, the crisp air, and everything else was the same as if we had only left a few days ago. Not that I thought it would be different, but sometimes, I felt like I’d been here in another life. I was torn between the sensation that we were just there, and that it had been an eternity. Time has a funny way of passing both slowly and quickly sometimes.
The only thing that was different was the stark silence of the formerly lively college town. There were no students, no cars, no events, no couples walking through the streets on intimate dates. There were only the repetitive sounds of birds and bugs. Whatever chemical spill Audrey and the wolves managed to sell to everyone really must have done the trick. It seemed as if everyone dropped everything and walked away.
“Are we safe to go into the town at all?” I questioned the others as we made our way through the hauntingly empty streets. “How do we know where the wolves and Audrey might be?”
Sacrificed Page 13
