Clann 03 - Consume

by Melissa Darnell

  “Sure, if you agree to release Sav’s friends,” I said.

  Silence as Mr. Williams absorbed the offer. “You would turn yourselves in willingly without a fight in exchange for them?”

  “Yes,” Savannah said. At least this time she had no problem speaking.

  “Hmm. I suppose they would be useless to me if I no longer needed them to reveal your whereabouts. However, if this were some sort of attempt to trick me and you two did not keep your end of the bargain, I might be forced to question them even more…strongly in order to find you.”

  There was a ripping sound and a low scream, then Carrie yelled, “Don’t do it, Sav! He can’t get anything out of us anyways, so just—”

  Her words turned into a scream.

  I twisted and grabbed Savannah’s shoulders as she tried to lunge for the phone, which Emily grabbed and held out of her reach. “I’ll kill you! Do you hear me? If you hurt them any more, I will kill you and all the Clann spells in the world won’t be able to save you!”

  I had to struggle to hold her while Emily told Mr. Williams to meet us in an hour at the Circle. When Emily ended the phone call, Savannah collapsed against me, her hands fisting around my shirt as she fought the rage. Over her head, I jerked a chin at the dinette window, and Emily leaned over to open it, letting out precious cool conditioned air but also giving us some fresh air so Savannah wouldn’t have any lingering human fear pheromones to trigger her bloodlust except her rage.

  She tilted her head up to look at me, her eyes round and white, her fangs fully extended and biting into her lower lip. She didn’t even seem to feel the pain as two drops of blood welled up. “We have to stop him, Tristan.”

  “We will.” I stroked her back as she buried her face against my neck, drew in long breaths, and struggled to rein in her fury.

  Emily cleared her throat and suggested Mac come with her to watch some TV. Watching Savannah the entire time, he slowly slid around the dinette and then sat with Emily on the couch behind us.

  An hour later, I held Savannah’s shaking hand as our entire group slowly walked around my family’s home and across its backyard. At the edge of the woods, we hesitated. I looked at Emily, making sure she was ready. Sweat beaded her upper lip and forehead as she winced. Then she realized I was watching her and waiting for her signal. At her nod, I took a deep breath and looked at Savannah. Ready?

  Teeth clenched, she nodded and took the first step into the woods.

  A ripple of pinpricks erupted across my skin, signaling that either we’d triggered a spell or someone in the Circle was gathering power. Whatever the cause, it took real effort not to stop and touch the ground to gather even more power of my own in turn.

  Not yet. First we would try Emily’s plan and go the politically strategic route.

  Mac stayed one step behind and in between Emily and me. The combination of heartbeats and fear-induced pheromones from him, Emily and Ms. Evans was a tough distraction to ignore and made me grateful we weren’t in an enclosed area. I wasn’t sure even holding our breaths would have prevented the bloodlust from kicking in otherwise.

  Light glimmered through the thick pine branches ahead, signaling we were getting closer to the Circle. Not that I needed the guidance. I’d grown up in these woods and knew every inch of them by memory. The light did let us know that we were expected, though.

  When we reached the edge of the Circle, I didn’t know whether to feel relief or worry. The Circle was only about a third as full as it had been the night the Clann had met to vote me in as leader. Had these thirty descendants shown up because of Emily’s call, or at Mr. Williams’s request? Did we have any shot at having even one unbiased and fair judge present to hear us? Or was this plan doomed from the start?

  Mr. Williams, seated in the stone chair that had once seated my father, and his father, and his father before him, stared at Mac as the scared but furious kid entered the Circle with us. Then he pasted on his trademark smile, the one that said so many things… “trust me, I will steer you right,” “isn’t this a sad night to have to take part in,” “don’t you wish everyone could just follow the rules and get along.”

  For that smile alone, he deserved to die. There was nothing about this man that spoke the truth, from his perfectly tailored suit to his salt-and-pepper hair so carefully trimmed and styled. And though Savannah, her dad and I were the vampires here, Mr. Williams’s eyes were the creepiest in the clearing. Why couldn’t everyone see those were the eyes of a cold and calculating serial killer?

  Soon they would know the truth.

  “I see your group has grown,” Mr. Williams called across the Circle as, at either side of him, several descendants tightened their ranks and drew in closer to the stone chair.

  I had to do a double take. His buddies all had white hair. As some kind of sign of their obedience and loyalty to their new leader?

  Then Dylan stepped forward, tilted his head hard from left to right with a popping sound, and rolled his shoulders to loosen them up. And I understood.

  That was how Dylan had survived the night of my mother’s death. Mr. Williams must have made his closest followers use the old ways—sacrificial magic—to heal his son’s spine. Judging by the unchanged color of Mr. Williams’s hair, though, it appeared he was only willing to make his followers give up part of their life force.

  They must not have given enough of their life force. Dylan looked like crap, with sunken-in cheeks, colorless skin except for the dark circles under his eyes, which peered out from beneath greasy, dull hair that was months past due for a cut.

  “Where are my friends?” Savannah demanded, her hand tightening on mine.

  Mr. Williams stared at her with that same cold smile. “Emily, do you think that recording this moment for YouTube is really the wisest way to show your loyalty to the Clann and its secrets?” He nodded at the laptop she held open and turned toward him.

  “Oh, I’m loyal to the Clann, all right,” she said. “Just not to those who would destroy it or its members with—as you put it—secrets. Speaking of which…” She turned to address everyone else in the Circle. “Thank you everyone for coming here on such short notice. I know how this must look to you right now. But I promise if you hear us out, you’re going to understand the truth very soon.”

  “You mean like the truth of whose baby you carry?” Mr. Williams said.

  Emily f linched and froze. She swallowed so hard it made an audible click in the silence. “Yes. The same person whom you apparently got quite close to, as well. Mac, why don’t you tell everyone how your parents, the Griffins, really died last year?”

  Mac hesitated then took a tiny step forward and cleared his throat. He hesitated, scanning the crowd of frowning and confused faces.

  “Mac…” Emily muttered. “Any day now please.”

  He cleared his throat again. “Right. Um, so…the night my parents died, I was out with some friends at the movies. When I came back, I saw a vampire…”

  “Gowin,” Emily supplied.

  “Right, Gowin, and this man, Mr. Williams, leaving my house.” Gasps rose up from several descendants. Mac paused then continued. “I heard him telling the vamp—Gowin— that they needed to find me. But Gowin said he needed to rest first. Then they left, and I went inside and found my parents’ bodies.”

  Emily slung an arm around his shoulders for comfort. “And after you called the police and they came and got you, what happened next?”

  “They took me to the police station, and then Mr. Williams showed up and grabbed my wrist, and I didn’t remember anything until tonight when you guys showed up.”

  “Lies!” one of Mr. Williams’ white-haired friends shouted. “This kid is obviously in league with the traitors.”

  Mr. Williams made a show of gently gesturing for everyone to quiet down. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. This poor boy has been through a lot. He could be simply confused or perhaps even under a spell—”

  “You mean like that memory confusion spel
l you put on me for months?” Mac shouted, ignoring the plan now. “Or how about the spells you must have used against my parents to help that bloodsucker get close enough to kill them?”

  I put an arm out to block him as he tried to step forward in fury.

  “Test his memories,” Emily said in a quiet voice. “That’s why he agreed to come here tonight, so every one of you could see for yourself that his memories are true.”

  Mac clenched his fists at his side as fear poured out from him. But he nodded and lifted his chin, waiting for the invasion into his mind.

  The crowd went silent then began to murmur.

  “It is simply a planted memory,” Mr. Williams said. “Why on earth would I ever ally myself with one of their kind?” He nodded at Savannah, her father and me. “It is obvious they have come here to foolishly spread lies and doubt among us so that we will become divided and weakened before another vamp attack.”

  “We also came here to free my friends,” Savannah said, her entire body shaking with anger now. She was having trouble keeping the fury in check.

  “What friends?” Mr. Williams’s eyebrows rose.

  Everything inside both Savannah and me sank. Oh, God. Had he already killed them?

  He’d never planned to release them at all. Though why I was surprised by his latest treachery, I had no idea.

  “The humans you had your Keepers take from their homes tonight,” I said. “Don’t play dumb, we know you have them.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking—” Mr. Williams began.

  “Here they are,” a Keeper called out as he and another man dragged Carrie and Michelle into the clearing. Both girls’ mouths were duct-taped shut and their hands bound behind their backs. “We brought them just as you said.” The Keeper hesitated, searching the Clann leader’s furious face. “You did say to bring them here, right?”

  “I never—” Mr. Williams began.

  “No, I did,” Ron said, resting his hands on his hips. “When I heard you had them kidnapped, I called the guards and told them to bring our prisoners to the Circle tonight so everyone else could see exactly what you’ve been using the Keepers for.”

  And then a third Keeper led Anne forward to join Carrie and Michelle. Like her friends, Anne was also bound. Unlike them, her eyes were filled with more fury than fear.

  “We caught this one with these—” the third Keeper tossed down a black compound bow and quiver full of arrows “—trying to rescue her friends.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Ron and Savannah both gasped out Anne’s name. Clearly Ron hadn’t realized his girlfriend would try to rescue Carrie and Michelle on her own and get caught in the process.

  “I have no idea what these Keepers are talking about,” Mr. Williams said. “I never told them to kidnap any humans. Perhaps they misunderstood me in an overeagerness to help the Clann—”

  “Why are you lying about the Clann’s allies now?” Ron shouted as he stepped into the light of the clearing where other Keepers, both in human and panther form, stood gathered together. They’d arrived so silently that I hadn’t even seen or heard them. Too bad most of them were on the wrong side, because they definitely had some impressive skills.

  I hoped I wouldn’t have to kill any of them tonight.

  Ron continued. “Keepers, search each others’ minds. Who of you received his orders to go after these innocent humans and interrogate them for knowledge of Tristan and Savannah’s location?”

  Several Keepers in human form raised their hands, including the three guarding the girls.

  “Descendants, check our minds for yourselves,” Ron said. “See the truth. Your leader is lying to all of you about so many things.”

  “Why should we listen to you, a traitor to your own people? Haven’t you broken your own Keeper laws by helping these bloodsuckers escape earlier tonight?” Mr. Williams’s eyes narrowed.

  Ron’s parents gasped and stepped forward to look past the other Keepers at their son. “Ron, you didn’t!” his mother whispered. “Sweetie, you know the oath and its consequences if it is broken. You’ll lose your shifter abilities.”

  Ron’s chin rose. “I haven’t forgotten my oath…to help defend and protect the Clann against outside enemies.” He stressed the last two words. “But obviously the law doesn’t consider Tristan or Savannah to be outsiders of the Clann, or I couldn’t still do this.” Scraps of clothing exploded outward as he rapidly shifted into panther form.

  Mr. Abernathy took a deep breath then turned to face the Keepers. “Ron’s right. We never agreed to help the Clann wage a civil war against its own members. And I for one am sick of being used to hunt down and terrorize innocent people, human or otherwise.” He turned toward the Circle. “I will keep my oath to protect the Clann against outsiders. But that is all.”

  Mrs. Abernathy took her husband’s hand and they walked along the edge of the Circle back toward the Coleman house. As they passed their son, Mrs. Abernathy paused.

  “Son, please come home with us now. This is no longer the Keepers’ fight.”

  I can’t, Mom, he thought. My friends need me here.

  Mr. Abernathy hesitated, glancing from his son to the human prisoners to us and finally to his wife. “He’s right again, hon. We can’t leave these innocents to who knows what fate. We Keepers are more honorable than that.”

  Murmurs rose within the Keepers’ ranks. The Keepers standing on either side of Carrie, Michelle and Anne let go of the girls and stepped back.

  Then all the Keepers, human and panther, turned and stared at Mr. Williams.

  Emily cleared her throat. “I know none of you have any reason to believe me. But I have one more thing to show you that will reveal just what kind of leader you’ve got running the show around here lately. This is what really happened the night of my mother’s murder….”

  She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then sent her mental shield crashing so everyone present could read everything within her mind.

  I was so shocked that it took me a few seconds to believe I was really seeing it. My sister, the queen of the mental shield, had purposely allowed everyone here total and complete access to every thought and memory within her mind. This from a girl who wouldn’t even allow her little brother to read her thoughts. Ever.

  I saw what others saw…Mom’s plans for dinner that night, telling Emily she was going to apologize to me and admit she’d acted too hastily in casting me out of the Clann.

  Mom had been planning to invite me to rejoin the Clann. She’d believed that, by sharing my idea for creating synthetic blood to sell to vampires and thus give the Clann an enormous amount of leverage over vamps worldwide, I’d proven I was still her son deep inside.

  “Oh, Tristan,” Savannah whispered, squeezing my hand.

  Everyone else saw what I’d witnessed for myself later that night. I didn’t need to read Emily’s thoughts or memories any further. She’d already answered the one question that had haunted me for over half a year now.

  My mother had still loved me, regardless of what I’d turned into.

  Everyone else present finished reading Emily’s memories.

  Including Mr. Williams. “You’ve twisted that memory! Your mother called me for help when Tristan and Savannah showed up at your house and attacked her. My friends and I tried to save her, even at the near cost of my own son’s life— at his hands.” He pointed a finger at me, then turned back to Emily. “Everyone knows now that you are a vamp lover and a traitor to the Clann. You would say and do anything to save your brother, despite the fact that he killed your mother.”

  “I show the truth,” Emily murmured, her voice shaky as a bead of sweat trickled down one side of her face. “I only wish I had been downstairs so that I could also show them that you killed my mother, not Tristan or Savannah.”

  Mr. Williams slowly smiled. “As you say, you did not see her actual death so…” He spread his hands out palms up in open question.

  “I’d suggest they read
your memories, but we all know what a liar you are now,” Emily said.

  “Read Dylan’s.” The words blurted out of me, completely unplanned.

  Dylan froze and Mr. Williams went pale. “Leave my son out of this—”

  “Like you said, he was there,” I said.

  “But he didn’t see who killed Nancy Coleman, either,” Mr. Williams said, and I could tell from his wide smile that this was the very fact he had been counting on.

  And why he probably hadn’t bothered to alter his son’s memories.

  “No, but he can verify whether my mother actually called you for help,” I said.

  Everyone in the Circle slowly turned to stare at Dylan.

  I didn’t have to join them in reading his mind. I knew what they would find.

  A ripple of movement and low-level noise spread across the descendants as they read the truth then turned to stare at their leader, murmuring to themselves or their neighbors in growing distrust and anger.

  “He’s lying to us,” someone muttered within the crowd. “It’s right there in his own son’s mind. He planned to attack the Coleman house that night. Nancy never called him for help at all!”

  Growing murmurs spread like tiny spots of wildfire within the Clann’s ranks and were echoed on the laptop Emily held out.

  “I call for a vote to remove Jim Williams as Clann leader!” someone on the conference call shouted from the laptop and was echoed by several others, both online and in person, who seconded the vote.

  But I remembered the rules. Clann law stated that leaders couldn’t be voted in or out unless all the adult descendants took part in the vote and a majority were in agreement. There was no way to legally do this over a conference call.

  Thankfully Emily remembered this. “I recommend that we meet here in one week’s time to hold an official vote to remove Jim Williams as our leader. Does anyone second this recommendation?”

  Hands shot up throughout the Circle, prompting Mr. Williams to leap to his feet.

  “No!” he shouted. “We have to stick together against the vampires or we’ll be too weak to survive them.”