The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  Not in a million years would anyone watching this couple ever believe they were actually vampires. Apparently the lack of sleep was catching up; today they looked frazzled and tired, just like any other set of new parents who had to deal with three babies at once.

  I glanced out of the side window and spotted the beautiful but deadly plants growing just past the ditch. Sacred Datura. I marveled at how something so lovely could cause so much damage. Turning back to the sounds inside the vehicle, I wondered also, how these ear-piercing screams were possible from such a tiny baby.

  Armand’s screams eventually became whimpers, and then finally happy suckling noises - just as the privacy window rolled up again. I glanced up from Alyssa’s sweet face in time to see Emrys turn his head and upper body in order to check behind our vehicle. When he turned back around he caught Gavin’s eye and a silent understanding passed between them. I watched Gavin’s face for some kind of sign, but instead all I witnessed was his super-fast reflexes. Adeline’s pacifier had popped out of her mouth, and he managed to catch it just before it hit the floor.

  “What’s going on, Emrys?” I asked in a whisper. The pink bundle in my arms had just fallen back to sleep and I did not wish to have a rerun of all the noise.

  “Nothing, my dear,” he said, looking down. His lack of eye contact confirmed the fact that his answer was nowhere near the truth.

  The tension in the air thickened and the lump in my throat clogged my breathing. Without looking; I knew someone was behind us. With gentle care, I laid Alyssa back in her car seat. Her cute pink cheeks puffed in and out as she sucked her little pacifier. I leaned back into my seat and, with a silent question, asked my husband why he wasn’t being truthful with me.

  I can take the truth, dear husband.

  Emrys caught my eye. He nodded his head toward Melinda as she unsuspectingly gazed into her son’s face while he drank his bottle. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings; so sweetly attentive as she fed her baby boy. Emrys’ intention was made clear. I realized that if Melinda remained calm, the babies most likely would too.

  The new parents were sitting across from us, facing the rear window, and every now and then Gavin would glance out, peering past our heads. Each time he would glance at Emrys and give a slight nod.

  In my mind, I asked if we were being followed, and if so, was it the Venators?

  Emrys’ nod was almost imperceptible. He leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. “I love you, my wife.” His breath sent tiny shivers down the side of my neck. He attempted, although without success, to keep my mind off the impending danger.

  As I stared straight ahead, trying desperately to not freak out, my vision went dark and I felt the usual dizziness as my glimpse of the future came into view: I was in an airplane, and one of the baby girls was sound asleep on my lap. As we ascended higher I caught a quick view of Phoenix and in the background the brown mountains stood out clearly against the cloudless, bright blue skyline. I sensed a slight twinge of apprehension, mingled with moderate but guarded relief. And then, just like that, I was back in the limo, watching my sister feed her baby.

  I took this as a sign that we’d be all right, and we would make our flight even though they were following us. I still couldn’t help but wonder how the Hunters even knew who or what we were. Emrys took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I realized he was letting me know that he would explain more once we were alone. What I didn’t know at the time, was how blasted long I’d have to wait for his explanation.

  The airport was very crowded which made it quite difficult to maneuver and stay together. It was a struggle to get the babies and all their necessities through security and at one point Emrys and I ended up in a different line than Gavin and his whole family. I watched from afar as they went through the scanner - Gavin holding two newborns, and Melinda one.

  I plunked my carry-on bag and my purse down on the conveyor belt at the same time that Emrys placed all the baby things down: diaper bags and extra blankets. I sighed as we waited in the slow-motion line and watched everything bump through the scanner. At long last, a woman pointed and waved me through to the metal detector. Finally on the other side, I retrieved my purse and bag and flung them over my shoulder, preparing to help with the rest of the baby things. I met up with Gavin and Melinda near the end of the conveyor table and had just gathered up one of the babies from Gavin when a noisy disturbance erupted. I turned back to see what the commotion was, but just as I did, Gavin grabbed my arm and yanked me over to the far wall near some benches. I managed to get one quick look over my shoulder, and what I saw nearly knocked me to the ground.

  Emrys was still on the other side of the metal detector and scanners. He was flanked by two men; each one had a firm grip of his elbows. I instantly recognized the man on his left. The bald man from the hospital now wore a crisp security uniform. My heart fell to my feet and I became outright nauseous.

  “Emrys!” I started to yell.

  Emrys glanced up and frowned at me. He shook his head from side to side for only a split-second and then promptly directed his gaze to the floor. I watched with dread as the bald man canvassed the area - searching for the rest of us.

  “Keep quiet!” Gavin hissed between his gritted teeth. “Keep your heads down, don’t let them see you!”

  He led us to the bench and told us to sit as he placed his daughter in Melinda’s empty arm. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a dark blue baseball hat. Gathering up all his white hair, he stuffed it into the hat while still crouched down near our knees. I was now glad of the throngs of people that swarmed around and past us.

  “But they’ve got Emrys!” I started crying. “Aren’t you going to do something? He needs your help!” The tears rolled down my cheeks as I pleaded with Gavin.

  “First, I must get you all to the gate. We cannot let them get to the babies.” Gavin stared into his wife’s eyes, and he suddenly reminded me of a father lion, protecting his family.

  Melinda’s face had gone a ghostly white and her eyes were wide with terror. She blinked back her tears as she gazed at the two babies in her arms and glanced over at the child in mine. Her eyes then swept up to me. Her look was imploring, and I knew then: the only thing that mattered to her was her children. Not that I held it against her, but it occurred to me that I was no longer the most important thing in her world. After seeing the fear in my sister’s eyes, I realized what had to be done. Deep down inside, I was confident that Emrys was able to take care of himself, and he would do all that he could do to get back to me.

  “Okay, then. Let’s go!” I whispered, pulling my hood up over my head to hide my long hair.

  I looked at Melinda again and behind the terror I saw her determination. She had now become the mother lion. Balancing both babies with one arm, she pulled her hair forward, twisted it around, and tucked it down into her collar. We were ready to make a run for it.

  “Hold on one minute.” Gavin stood halfway up and walked hunched over, keeping his head low. Edging between all the people, he made his way to the table where we had left the baby things. I lost sight of him as he blended into the crowd, but within moments he was back and motioning for us to follow him. I was really glad I’d decided to wear my hooded sweatshirt, but still kept my head tucked down as we walked away from the security area. Just before turning the first corner of the long corridor I took a brief glance back. I spotted Emrys standing tall among all the crowds. His long black hair stood out like a neon light. More security guards were all around him now and I could not imagine how he would get away. But surely, all those men could not be Venators, I reasoned. At least a few of them had to be regular security. And certainly, the Hunters would not kill him in that crowd.

  Gavin managed to get us and all the paraphernalia situated as close to the boarding gate as possible. He bent down and whispered into Lindy’s ear, kissed her forehead, and went to the desk to speak with the clerk. As he spoke, the woman glanced over at us two or three times, nodding
her head. He gazed back at us one more time, then turned on his heel, and quickly retraced his steps back the way we had come. I wanted to call out to be careful, but I bit my lip. Melinda let out an audible shiver and I put my free hand on her arm.

  “They’ll be back. We’ll all be okay, Lindy. You’ll see.” I tried to sound calm and reassuring.

  “But what if...” The words caught in her throat.

  “Shh, don’t say it. Think positive.” A sudden surge of confidence rushed over me, and I added, “I saw Phoenix from the sky - in a vision that is.”

  Her voice was so soft, I could barely hear her. “Okay,” she breathed, “that’s...good.”

  I glanced up at the clock on the wall. Not that it mattered; I had completely forgotten the time of departure anyway. I peeked down at the bundle in my arms. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful and yet so helpless. We huddled together, keeping our heads down as much as possible. I kept my hood up on my head and turned my body in such a way, that if anyone were to walk by, for the most part, I would be blocking my sister. Every now and then she’d take a nervous glance over my shoulder, looking for our men. The time seemed to go on forever, and my main hope now, was for the babies to stay asleep and not bring us any unwanted attention. I found myself rocking back and forth, though in all honesty, it had more to do with my anxiousness, than with me cradling a sleeping child.

  Lindy gazed into my eyes with gratitude and love. She knew my first instinct had been to run to Emrys, but instead, I had chosen to help her.

  “Thanks, Sis.” The tears began to well up in her eyes and she tried to blink them away again. “This means so much to me,” Melinda said, her eyes flashing. “You’ll never know how much.”

  “I know, Lindy. I know.” I wiped my eyes quickly and forced a small smile.

  Finally the woman behind the desk spoke into the microphone calling for anyone with children, or those in wheelchairs, to begin boarding. I inspected the area with a quick look around and saw that we were the only ones in this crowd that qualified. I glanced back down the long corridor where Gavin had gone. I couldn’t stand not knowing what was happening, wondering if they’d make the flight at all. But as impossible as it was to imagine departure without Emrys at my side, the idea of not being here for my sister was even more inconceivable. We both stood up at once, staring down at all our baggage. There was no way we’d be able to carry all of it, even though I already had a diaper bag and my purse slung over a shoulder. I went to the counter and asked if we could get some help and the clerk sent a young man over to help us. He looked to be no older than twenty, and had the physique of a tall twelve year old. I was amazed when he gathered up all the items that we couldn’t. While carrying a baby in one arm, all I had managed to pluck up was an extra blanket. Carrying two babies and her purse, Lindy followed the young man. She walked ahead of me, checking over her shoulder several times as we made our way down the long walkway to the plane. I glanced back twice - hoping to see my dear husband or Gavin. Or better yet - both of them.

  Seeing the inside of the plane was bittersweet. The sense of safety felt great, but all the while I was conscious of a horrid emptiness. I took the window seat and we left an empty seat between us, placing the extra blankets and the one diaper bag with bottles and diapers - enough for the trip. One of the attendants helped us to stow what we didn’t need now, and we settled the babies and ourselves into our seats. I had turned back so often - waiting and watching the doorway - that I started to get a neck ache.

  Slow but sure, the plane filled up with passengers. Alyssa woke up and we exchanged babies so Lindy could change her diaper, and then she handed her back to me with a bottle. A few moments later Adeline woke and Lindy balanced Armand on her lap while feeding her daughter. It was crazy, moving babies around every few minutes, and I began to wonder how we would manage the long flight all by ourselves. A sudden feeling of panic set in, but I knew I had to try to keep it together. My sister needed me now - more than ever. I knew also that, before this day was over, we would need to quench our thirst. Drinking would ease our stress levels and keep us focused. This was not a good time to be thirsty, and all of a sudden, I was.

  I pressed the signal button for the flight attendant as I held Alyssa up to burp her.

  “What are you doing?” Lindy asked with a nervous frown.

  “I’m dying of thirst. Aren’t you?” I ran my tongue over my fangs, willing them to stay hidden. The more I thought about it, the worse it got.

  She sighed and said, “Yeah. I’ve been trying to not think about it actually.”

  The flight attendant made her way to our seats and I asked her if she knew Emrys.

  “Bertrand. Emrys Bertrand.” I wondered if asking about him was a mistake, but then her eyes confirmed that she did know him. The question was - did she know him because she was employed by him? Or was it because she had been warned about him?

  I watched her closely to see if I could get a reading on her. She had short blonde hair, and a round face with high cheekbones.

  “Oh sure, Honey,” she nodded. “I know him.” She glanced around cautiously, and spoke in hushed tones. “He called a few days ago and requested that I ask for this flight. You must be his wife!” She smiled down at me and glanced at Melinda and all the babies.

  “Yes. I’m Elizabeth, and this is my sister, Melinda.”

  “Well, that’s obvious!” She chuckled. “And whose beautiful babies are these?” She reached down and very gently touched the closest soft cheek.

  “They’re Melinda’s. That’s why we came to Arizona - to pick them up,” I explained.

  “Where is Mr. Bertrand?” she asked. “I thought he said there would be four adults on this flight.” She turned and spotted the empty seats across the aisle.

  “He’s supposed to be on this flight, but he was delayed in security.” I glanced over at Melinda and added, “And my sister’s husband went back to see what the problem was. We haven’t heard anything yet.”

  The flight attendant looked around with a wary eye. “I guess I could make a call.”

  “I don’t know what we’ll do if they don’t make the flight.” I swallowed hard. The lump in my throat was painful. “Maybe you could find out what’s going on out there?”

  “Sure thing.” Her eyes were soft hazel, and her expression kind.

  “Please don’t let anyone know who is asking or where we are,” I whispered. “Security wasn’t acting alone - if you get my meaning.”

  “I see.” She nodded her head appearing sympathetic, and whispered, “Venators?”

  She did understand what we were up against, and I finally felt like we had an ally. I nodded and fought to keep my tears in check as I glanced up at her.

  Melinda shook her head back and forth and announced, “I can’t take it anymore.” She looked directly up at the woman. “Is there any way you can get us a glass of...you know...Ambrosia?”

  “Of course. That’s why Mr. Bertrand called ahead.” She patted Melinda’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dear. I’ll have you feeling better in no time at all.”

  She headed right to the galley and didn’t stop to help anyone along the way. Melinda leaned her head into the aisle and watched her walk away.

  “See, that’s how it’s done, Sis. Ask, and you shall receive.” She licked her lips slowly.

  I glanced back toward the door again. People still filed in, but only a small trickle of them now. Most of the seats were filled. But the three empty ones across the aisle from us were so completely barren; a constant reminder of how alone we were. Soon we’d be in the air - without our husbands. My mouth was dry and my chest ached.

  Our flight attendant came back to us within five minutes carrying two containers that appeared to be small plastic juice cups. My first thought was that there was no way these cups would ever be enough and I frowned. When she saw the disapproval in my face she winked at me.

  “I just had enough time to fill these two cups. I’m not even supposed to hand out
drinks before take-off,” she whispered as she handed them to us. “I promise, as soon as we’re in the air, I will get you more.”

  Melinda reached up and took her cup without a word. She swallowed it down in two huge gulps, handed the empty container to the woman, and said, “Thanks.”

  While balancing both babies on her lap, she glanced over at me and smiled. She was amazingly calm, considering our husbands were nowhere to be seen. I could only assume that even a small amount of blood was better than none, and if it helped Melinda that fast, and right in the midst of a crisis, surely it would do the same for me. I sipped slowly at first, and then drank the rest down in two gulps just as the plane’s engines began to rumble. My heart sank, and yet somehow at the same time, I did feel stronger. I handed my cup back to the attendant. Her smile was sweet and she nodded her head.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes, ladies.”

  Before she left us I noticed her nametag, and I said, “Thanks, Diana.”

  I looked at the door one more time just as another flight attendant closed and latched it. Still no husbands. The plane started to taxi out onto the runway, and even though we didn’t want to leave without our men, I knew Melinda felt the same sense of relief as I did. The babies were safe. No one could try to take them away now. Even if that was not their original intention, just being detained would have caused my sister to be separated from them, and I didn’t think she could take any more than we had already gone through.

  With all three babies fed and changed, I hoped they’d sleep now for the first leg of our flight. I remembered Emrys saying there was a changeover in Minneapolis, which gave us about four hours flight time. The time between flights was an hour. With any luck at all, we would then be well on our way home; safe and far away from the Venators.

  I closed my eyes, but kept my hand on Alyssa as she slept peacefully in my lap. The plane’s engines revved higher and louder as we readied for take-off, and the smell of fuel was thick and acrid, but I knew it would ease up as soon as we were in the air. The plane began to race forward and I didn’t open my eyes again until we were off the ground. When I looked out the window I saw the exact same view I’d seen in my vision back in the limo. The feeling of apprehension mixed with relief now made more sense.