by Dale Mayer
The four men in front of her grinned. She frowned.
The leader nodded in the direction behind her.
Shit.
“Ah, Rhia,” Ian said urgently, his voice low and hard. “We’ve got company.”
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. Please not. They might have a chance against four, but if there were too many more, they were lost.
A sense of fatalism took over. She straightened and very slowly turned to look.
The hallway behind them was full of ugly-ass vamps.
They were not only outnumbered, they were surrounded by these men who were all enhanced.
They didn’t have a chance.
*
He had no idea what they’d found but up ahead, in a more trafficked area given the number of footsteps along here, they had to be coming closer to the blood farm.
This was where things got a bit dicey. He hoped the men behind him could follow orders. He wasn’t getting a good vibe from the sight of the huge double doors ahead.
Excitement permeated the atmosphere behind him. He could sense their excitement. But he wasn’t feeling it.
“What’s his problem?” someone called behind him.
Another frustrated voice called, “Open the damn door already.”
He stood, his arms open wide, his eyes closed, thinking this through. This could be a trap. The doors themselves could be armed. There could be any number of things behind that door – and not one of the possibilities crossing his mind were any good.
Several men behind him jumped forward and reached for the doors.
“No, wait,’ he cried.
Too late. The doors opened and like two waves racing toward their destiny, they poured down either side of him. If he hadn’t been bigger, taller, they’d have blocked his view. As it was, he could see all too well.
The men raced into a huge room filled with beds. Empty beds.
Goran stepped back out of sight but kept an eye on the men.
As they milled around looking for another exit, a voice from above called down. “Welcome. Choose a bed, boys. It’s the last one you will ever see.”
*
It couldn’t end like this. Not again. Not when they were so close. He knew he was Clarissa’s only hope. And not much of one at that. It was bad enough that she’d been take while trying to find out about her friend. Now he’d been taken trying to help her. What a nightmare. Look at him, he could barely stand on his own. Rhia was the most capable of them all. Wendy looked like paste and Ian, hell, he was the strongest of the lot and he was carrying Seth. Jared still struggled to believe that this was Tessa’s brother. He understood a lot of what had gone on, but not all. He did understand the one major issue in front of them now.
This was the end of the line.
If they were taken now, then there was no help for any of them. Rescue would be down to Tessa and the rest of the gang – again.
Damn.
Chapter 16
Tessa struggled to stay in control. Anger like a wall of red washed through her, taking everything she had to fight Deanna back down. Tessa knew this wasn’t a fight she could lose, otherwise, Deanna could take over any time.
She had to win. But so far, the anger of Deanna’s was taking over the much softer anger of Tessa. It was incorporating itself into her own anger, building herself up to be stronger and more powerful. Tessa wanted to win. Knew she had to win. But there was an air of desperation about it. Almost a panic. The memories of the last mess were sitting in her peripheral vision, threatening her with the reminder that she failed last time.
That she had been a fool and Deanna had taken her over by being what Deanna always had been – older, stronger, and so much more devious. Tessa tried to build up the anger to match Deanna, but she didn’t have a lifetime of hurts and enemies to draw from. Her short-lived years were merely a blink to Deanna’s centuries, who had anger plenty for both of them.
Give me your anger. I’ll take it and make it mine, Deanna whispered. Think of how easily I ruined your life. Think of what I’ll do with Cody when I’m you and he’s mine. He’ll be my lover. Not yours. You’ll be stuck inside for the ages while he becomes my man. His young firm body mine to do with as I please. Feel the anger at my words. Give it to me.
Tessa wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. There was much terror and fear mixed with the anger. And her words, well, they’d ignited a maelstorm. Cody is not and never will be yours.
Her own rage built at the thought of this old crone taking what was Tessa’s. Not just her body and her life, but her love. Cody wouldn’t be able to free himself. He’d already fought to return to save her. He’d come back to protect Tessa, but there was no way he could fight Deanna.
Then the tiny whisper came, but he could be.
Hortran?
Yes. You can’t let her destroy you.
You helped her to do this. How is it you aren’t okay with her actions at this time? Tessa snapped. You are just as responsible for what she’s doing now as she is.
Yes, but not for the reason you think.
You love her.
Of course. She’s my sister. But I’m not blind to her. I helped her because she’s right – you are the One. But you’ve had no training and as Deanna’s past has come back to taunt her, you need help. Everything we do in our life has a cause and effect, and right now she’s still trying to walk away from her actions. Like she always has.
Tessa’s mind was split in different directions. One part on Hortran’s words, another desperate to match Deanna’s rage that she might win against her, and yet another part aware of the vamp watching the two of them in fascination. He held no weapons, as if content to see who’d win then take out the victor.
You can’t match her anger. Her rage. She’s done much wrong in her life. She cared not for the repercussions and did as she wanted. But your present has collided with her past, and there won’t be a good end to this. She’s never faced this – him. She never confronted him. He wanted revenge and held information on her that could destroy her and her husband. He had power over her. Thus, she feared him. Hated him and wanted only to see him die so that he couldn’t hurt her anymore. But for all her actions, she is still a mother and knew she’d been in the wrong first. All those memories became a twisted compilation of fear, anger, and guilt.
Tessa was so confused. She got the relationship was complicated. She understood that Deanna had tried to kill her own son, but it had been eons ago. Hortran, what difference does it make now? She’s dead. Her husband is dead. She was trying to extract revenge for his death, but he’s dead too. Everyone who mattered to her is dead.
But her husband was set up to die by another. And that other is the one ultimately responsible.
Who?
Her son…
Tessa’s gaze went to Victor, who was still standing at the window. But Hortran was still speaking, his voice low, fading.
…and by Victor’s command…her own grandson. And he still lives…still hurts.
Grandson? Oh no. Who is her grandson?
A man raised on poison to hate her and who spent his lifetime creating something that would keep the line pure. To see her die as they all lived, bigger, better, stronger…and not deformed and disfigured like his father.
Shit.
She closed her eyes, caught in a bubble of frozen time, so much going on around her. So much caught up in this moment. Deanna’s grandson was the one who’d created the blood farms. He was the one in the background. That shadowy figure that they hadn’t been able to identify and had often questioned if he even existed. They’d caught and killed many of his minions…and never him.
He’s there. He exists. You know him.
Deanna screamed in the background. You should have killed him when you had the chance. And you had the chance. Now we’ll take out my son first – I was going to let him live – my penance for my wrongs and for his penance to live so broken an existence – then we’ll go after his son.
And Deanna screamed. It was a rip of rage like Tessa had never heard before.
But it was so like Deanna that Tessa knew it wasn’t her own anger. In fact, hers had faded to the background like it always did. She wasn’t a hard, cold, angry person. She loved animals and flowers and saved dogs from bad drugs and military men from vampire poison.
Exactly. Hortran said. You must save yourself.
How, she said, her mind already looking at her actions, Deanna’s actions, and seeing that harsh divide. She’s not me.
And you are not her.
You are…
She finished the sentence for him. I am Tessa. And I must be true.
Together, their voices blended into one as they said at the same time…to me.
Exactly. She felt Hortran’s smile rather than saw it. Worry not about Deanna when her anger blows out as she’ll have nothing left – her life force has been used up in the conflagration. She’ll sink back in here with me and spend the rest of her life realizing the life choices she made and how she could have chosen to be more like…you.
And his voice faded away.
Cody whispered, I just heard all that.
You’re different now, too. She smiled. Because you spoke with Hortran, he can now speak to you.
And did he help? Do you know what to do?
I do. She smiled and tilted her head back. I have to be me. While I’m doing that, I need you to keep this guy away from me.
I can do that, but what do you mean about being you? he asked cautiously.
I’m a healer, not a hater. And that means I have to heal myself, and therefore Deanna. I can’t win this battle with anger. Or fear. I can only win it with…love. As I have always done to help those in need. Being me means operating from goodness. Not darkness. Deanna crossed over a long time ago. Whether she wanted to return or not, I think once that choice is made…it’s almost impossible to return.
In the background, Deanna raged. Now all Tessa needed to do was to show her the love inside her pain. Somehow.
Cody. I love you. I just wanted to say that. And she closed her eyes and said, let this war rage. I will win. But it might take a little bit.
And she dove into the red wall of rage.
*
Wait, Cody cried. But it was too late. She was gone.
He didn’t understand what he was seeing, but it’s as if there was a red haze in his mind.
There had to be something he could do to help her besides protect her from this bastard. He studied Victor, seeing the pain in his features, the shiver to his frame against the window as he leaned and watched Tessa. There was also a deep satisfaction permeating his features.
“How is it you want this young girl to suffer for your hurts?” Cody asked him bitterly. “Tessa did nothing to you.”
“And I’ve done nothing to her…yet.”
Cody studied the older man, realizing he was already dying. His disability was taking its toll on his body that didn’t heal well. He had not long to live. And like his mother, he wanted to see justice done before he was gone. “You’re quite a pair,” Cody growled. “A chip off the old block.”
Victor glared at him. “I am nothing like my mother. She’s a cold heartless bitch.”
“And you think you’re so much better?” Cody snorted with disgust. “I think not. You helped your son create this monstrosity of a blood farm, hurting thousands of humans, and for what?”
“A better life. A simpler life. An old-fashioned life. One of clean lines, with no more of this mixed breeding. Enough abominations. We are a pure race. We should be living to our noble standards.”
“And yet your mother was an ancient. One of the strongest and purest of lines.” Maybe mental instability was part of the disability because none of this made any sense.
“And she bred to another ancient, her uncle. And I was the result. They bred like animals when they wanted and where they wanted. Did you ever think about the ancients of old – how few of them there actually were? How did they procreate? Inbreeding causes birth defects like I suffered with. Nan had the same fate as I. But someone helped her, so she in turn helped me.”
“And yet you procreated.” Cody didn’t get that. If he was so against random genetic breeding, why would he risk perpetrating the same genetic faults he carried?
“Only after much testing. My DNA was only compatible with one female out of hundreds we tested. And I managed to produce a small healthy, whole offspring with her.” The older vamp shuffled forward. “The child was perfect. He was what I should have been.”
“And the mother?”
The vamp waved his hand. “She is dead. When I realized she couldn’t breed a second child, then it was important she not be allowed to breed again. Her genetics couldn’t go to another line.” He shrugged. “So of course I killed her.”
Cody swallowed. Victor had killed the mother of his child because she couldn’t provide him with more children. Yet he didn’t see the similarity to his own mother? And they thought humans were a terrible species. He wondered if vamps should be allowed to live at all. Look at this animal and what he’d created.
“And your son. Has he founded a dynasty for you?”
The old vamp grinned. “He has indeed.”
Only there was something off in his voice. As if Cody wouldn’t like what he meant. But as he went to ask him, he realized the air had thickened, like tiny sparks flying with every breath.
Beast whined deep in the back of his throat.
Tessa and Deanna. The air swirled around Cody, tension filled him so tight he felt he would snap if he moved even the slightest bit.
Fascinated and horrified, he watched, catching tiny glimpses of life on the other planes. Planes he’d touched and felt himself. There were bits and pieces, but the explosions were small and red, like micro-fireworks going off. As if Deanna was losing control and in her frustration, blasting at the only person she could reach – Tessa.
And yet, he could sense Tessa in there this time. Strong. Stalwart. Calmly standing on the side of right.
Where she always stood.
That was one of the many things he admired about her. She knew the difference between right and wrong. She knew her own morality and ethics and held herself accountable. She wasn’t crying, hiding, or cheating. She knew what she had to do and she was doing it.
Her way.
He smiled.
“You can’t help her,” Victor cried. “They are both going to die today. I didn’t plan it. But that’s going to be the outcome.”
“No,” Cody smiled at him. “You don’t understand Tessa. She is so much more than Deanna.”
“No,” the vamp cried, hobbling closer. “She can’t win. It’s not possible. She can’t be allowed to live on in Tessa.”
Cody stepped in front of him. He’d been through this once with Bart, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again.
No one was going to hurt Tessa.
“When Tessa defeats Deanna, your mother will be relegated to the archives where she belongs. Along with your uncle.”
The crippled vamp shuddered to a halt. “Uncle? I have an uncle?” He bent over as if from a blow. “Not possible.”
“Well, you do, but he’s a Ghost. Well, he was a Ghost,” Cody amended. “Tessa carries him as well. She’s trying to keep them as part of a living historical archive.”
“Hortran? The Ghost?” Victor asked in a daze. “He’s my uncle?”
Cody could sympathize. It was a lot to understand all at once.
“I thought Hortran was her lover,” Victor whispered.
“No,” Cody snapped. At least, he hoped not because that was just plain wrong. “He was her brother.”
“Then I carry his DNA as well.” the old vamp brightened. “We thought the Ghosts were gone, and yet here I was carrying that genetic marker all this time.”
�
�You might be, but maybe not,” Cody knew nothing about DNA and genetic markers. “And besides, so what if you do?”
“Then we can reproduce it in the lab,” he cried. “Don’t you see? I thought he was her lover and I was angry at her, because I could have been whole and have that genetic marker as well if she’d chosen a better father for her child.” He waved his arm adding, “Instead, this entire time I had it already.”
“Maybe you have it,” Cody snapped. “And maybe not.”
But Victor beamed with the possibility. “Maybe not, but there were markers in my DNA that I didn’t know, didn’t understand. And now I do. I have to go to the blood farm. I have to start the testing. We have been after the Ghost DNA since the beginning,” he cried, taking a step toward Cody. Beast howled. Victor paused.
Suddenly the air, as if a calm after a storm, cleared.
Tessa spoke up – a smiling, wholesome-looking Tessa. Although weak and tired, she looked… normal. “And what good would that do you,” she asked Victor in a low voice.
“We can create the perfect race.” Victor laughed. “All births will be controlled. There will be no more abominations like myself.” His eyes turned black. “No more like you…” and he ran toward her in as fast a gait as his crippled leg would allow him.
Beast sent out a chilling warning again.
Cody stepped in front of Tessa. “You will not hurt her.”
“She can’t be allowed to live,” he whispered. “Surely you see that. She’s not perfect.”
“You’re wrong,” Cody snapped. “She is perfect.”
Victor shook his head. “Then you are damaged too.” He glared down at Beast beside Tessa. “And that thing is an abomination.”
Beast, his hackles rising as if he understood, growled.
Behind him, Cody turned to see Tessa staring at Victor with distaste. “You will not touch my pet,” she snapped. “Or else…”
“Tessa? Are you…okay?”
She released a heavy sigh and straightened, letting her shoulders slump as if released from tension inside. “I’m fine. Deanna burned through her anger faster than I thought. The more love I poured over her, the more pissed off she became. She lost control quickly – now she’s only bits and pieces of what she used to be. Like her brother.” She smiled at the crippled vamp. “In fact, I’m more than fine. And now I can see everything.”
