There was a weird mist coming from behind the house, a tall hill rose up behind it in the distance covered with trees. The shrubbery was trimmed and not a stitch of overgrowth was anywhere else they could see. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.” Clover said staring up at the house. Windows lined the front of the long home.
“I don’t want to go in here either but we need to.” She gnawed her lip and walked up the dirt drive. They walked up the stone stairs and looked up at the towering double doors. “You guys ready?” Troy asked as he gripped the door knobs.
“Let’s see why this place keeps popping up.” Jenna said and they watched as Troy pulled on the doors. It didn’t seem like they would open at first but they suddenly swung out. A clean smell filled the air of the inside of the house. The house didn’t look so abandoned on the inside. Furniture was covered with clean white sheets, the hardwood floors were clean and had a dull shine to them, and the wallpaper wasn’t peeling. The large chandelier that was hanging overhead was clean.
Someone was definitely taking care of this place this is not how she envisioned it at all.
“Let’s check down here first.” They went to the left and were in a large living room she was guessing. It didn’t hold anything of relevance. They went across to what was like a parlor with a grand piano still in it covered with a sheet. On the wall hung a portrait, a portrait of her and her sisters, in the picture she had on the red ruby pendant on a dark silver chain she kept seeing in all the old photos of herself. “It’s crazy how you guys are like perfect replicas of yourselves.” Chelsea said studying the portrait. “This being here just proves this house is part of your past.” Cooper said. They nodded silently. They couldn’t of lived here, they knew their home was within the village in what had been a large castle at the edges of it.
The dreams showed her here all the time though, and her sister’s dreams showed them here to. She suddenly turned and left the room she headed up the stairs and immediately to the right. She heard them behind her asking where she was going. She walked into the room at the end of the hall, the room she’d seen so many times in her dreams. It looked exactly the same. Her sisters had taken off to their own dream rooms after catching on to what she was doing.
The room looked tidy, the wrought iron canopy bed with the light blush comforter, the white and gold trimmed vanity, and the fireplace wasn’t depleted any. She eyed the door that she always came through when she cut through the bedroom to the kitchen with the knife. She edged to the door, Troy who had followed her silently moved behind her. She placed her hand on the knob and turned pushing the door open.
A bathroom, the first thing she noticed was the shattered bathroom mirror, the old blood stains on the hardwood floor, a lot of the bathroom floor, the cracked porcelain tub and the open window on the side wall. What happened in here? She looked around the bathroom when she heard Troy telling her to come here. She left the bathroom and seen him by the vanity. “What is it?” She asked. He turned and held up a black leather book. “I found this in the drawer.” He held it out to her and she gently took it. It had her initials carved into the leather front cover. “I didn’t open it.” Troy said watching her. “Can you hold it until we get out of here.” She didn’t have any where to put it. He nodded and stuck it in his inner jacket pocket.
“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “I’d do anything you asked.” He grinned. Oookay, she didn’t respond to that. “Let’s go to the kitchen.” She walked out of the room.
I watch you through the night
waiting for a chance to strike
Even when you go out for air
You have no idea I’m there
My skin is pale, My eyes are red
Anyone that gets close enough will soon be dead. -unknown
CHAPTER TWO
Her sisters popped out to follow her after she called out she was going to the kitchen. “Found a journal or something.” She told them as she headed down the stairs. “We got some to, in a box in an old study.” Jenna said behind her. “I found some letters.” Chelsea said meeting them at the bottom of the stairs. She patted her little purse she had over her shoulders. “Were going to the kitchen.” She gestured to the back part of the house. They made their way into the large airy kitchen.
“This place looks the same as it always has.” Clover said looking around. “What the hell is up with that?” She looked to where Scarlett had pointed. A knife was stabbed into the smooth kitchen counter. The knife she always had, it had a red bow tied to the handle like it was a gift. “That’s not creepy or anything.” Cooper muttered. “Should I pull it out?” She looked back as she approached it. “It’s just a knife.” Scarlett shrugged. She turned and pulled the knife out of the countertop.
“Ouch, that hurt.” She flung the knife down to the ground. She held up her arm where an insignia of two intertwined S’s was imprinting into under her wrist and a black burn healed from her hand.
She looked at her wrist; the imprints were light, and the same color as her skin within a dark circle. “Okay, I guess it’s not just a knife.” Scarlett said looking at her wrist. “Obviously, what is this?” Jenna looked at her wrist and she noticed she had the same imprint. She heard a floor board creek and sharply looked up. Troy was about to speak but Chelsea covered his mouth. Another creak sounded and then footsteps. Someone was in here with them.
It was coming directly to them. They moved towards the back door and faced the opposite direction to see who it was, or more like what it was. “What the fuck is that?” Cooper lowly asked the same time Chelsea said “I thought those were myths.”
She didn’t know what myth Chelsea was referring to but she was more with Cooper in wondering what the hell the thing was. It was tall, it was muscular and its skin was brilliantly pale, it had bright red eyes, black hair and beautiful black angelic wings protruding from its back. It was dressed in all black and it didn’t look friendly. It didn’t speak, it didn’t even blink. It suddenly disappeared. “We should go.” She said. “Guys?” Was that Amy? “Amy?” Clover called out.
“Hey, I know I’m late, are you guys done already?”
The thing reappeared behind Amy. “Amy come to us!” Troy yelled a second to late. It grabbed their friend by her hair and yanked her back. “Amy!” They yelled in unison. It looked right at them and bit into their friends neck. “Get off of her!” Scarlett flung a fire orb at it. It shoved Amy forward and disappeared. She rushed forward and caught their friend, “I’m not healing.” Amy squeaked out. Sure enough the little blonde had a puncture that was slowly leaking blood. Troy ran forward and scooped her in his arms. “Let’s go, right now!” He yelled and ran for the back door. “Cover them!” She yelled and turned just as the thing reappeared back in the room. How was it doing that? All of them made it out of the back door except Clover who stayed with her why her other sisters covered their friends to get them safely to the cars.
It studied her for a minute but they didn’t wait for it to make a move. Clover flung a ball of white lightning at it smashing it in its chest. It didn’t even flinch, the wound healed before they even blinked. This thing was freakishly strong. “I think we should probably run.” Clover mumbled. “That is an excellent idea.” She threw a combo of fire and then her Cimmerian mist at it. They turned and ran out the back door not seeing what happened or what didn’t.
The mist made it hard to see so they linked hands and ran straight to what she hoped was the front of the house. She was knocked down from the side and landed on the hard ground. Clover turned back but the red eyed thing grabbed hold of her. Her sister was snatched by another one. There was more than one?! “Get off of me.” She ground out and started to summon her cimm sentinels from within her. The thing was strong; its firm arms were wrapped tightly around her. The whispers started and her cimms rose from the ground and turned towards them.
Her cimm sentinels were two incorporeal beings; they floated a few feet off the ground and had no recognizable facial features aside from two blu
e orbs as eyes and when they screeched mouths full of shark like teeth. They wore black cloaks that appeared Smokey around their unseen bodies. They screeched now and one flew at the thing behind her the other she sent for her sister. The thing let her go and disappeared into the fog as her cimm used its own power and slammed it back.
“Clover!?” She yelled spinning around looking for her sister. “I’m here, come on.” Her sister grabbed her and they took off running again. She could feel her cimms battling it out with whatever the winged creatures were and just as they could sense her emotions she could sense theirs. They were pretty pissed off and in…pain? How were they hurting the cimms? As they ran back down the dirt drive she could hear their screeches from behind the house. They smashed through the over growth and Troy’s truck screeched to a halt as did her sisters flashy car behind it with a healed Amy in the front seat. Troy popped open the passenger door and Scarlett flung open a back door.
At the same moment her cimms slammed back into her. She clutched her chest as it began to burn. They just physically forced them back, whatever the things were they weren’t something she could deal with. She managed to pull herself into the front seat and slam the door shut as Clover dove for the back and Cooper pulled her in. The two cars took off down the road and she saw the two red eyed creatures watching from the end of the drive as they did.
“Are you ok?" Troy asked looking at her with concern. “Just peachy.” She ground out. “What the hell were those things anyway?” Scarlett asked from the back seat. “I have no idea but not something we can fight.” She sighed. She had a headache starting, her chest hurt and she had more questions than she had started with.
The ride back to the MCC was uneventful; they filed out of the vehicles and headed back inside to the lobby. “How’d you heal?” She asked Amy. “Troy, why he carried me.” She responded shyly. She grinned; Amy had always had a thing for Troy. He just didn’t see it, or he ignored it.
“Those were reapers!” Chelsea exclaimed jogging to a big brown book. Reapers, reapers, reapers she thought trying to remember what those were. “Aren’t those make believe?” She asked when it clicked. “Didn’t we used to be ‘make believe’?” Chelsea said with air quotes. “Touché.” She said nodding her head as she sipped her water. “I don’t remember what those are.” Jenna said sitting on one of the tables. “They’re supposed to be these made up winged things.” Cooper said. “Well, clearly there not so made up anymore, I can’t believe we seen one.” Chelsea huffed. “Two, there were two of them.” Clover added.
“Why are they here? They have to be so old.” Chelsea mumbled. “Reapers are dead vampires, strong, ridiculously strong, they’re supposed to be an extinct hyper breed of vampire, I wonder how long they’ve been here? Anyways, give me a few hours and I’ll have everything I can gather on this and them to tell you.” Chelsea didn’t wait for them to respond and hustled off down a row of books.
“Let’s go eat shall we?” She said to the rest of them. “Yes, I’m starving.” Scarlett groaned. They filed out of the library once again this time taking their own vehicles.
They decided to go to Florence, a nicer but simpler restaurant owned by a wolf shifter and her husband Hank, a warlock. It wasn’t far from the MCC about a ten minute drive. She put her heels back on and tossed the flats in her passenger. She grabbed her purse; she had tossed it in here before they went to the house, as their little group walked into the air conditioned establishment. The staff bowed their heads as they walked to the podium, the sign of respect for her and her sisters. “Girls, how are you?!” Molly, a chubby but pretty redhead greeted them. “Were good.” Clover smiled at her. She led them to a booth and waited till they were seated before taking their drink orders. She ordered a fairy martini and placed her order for food already knowing what she wanted.
She checked her phone soon after their food arrived and noticed she had two missed calls and three texts from Reyes. She checked the text.
Rey: Are you busy?
Rey: What are you doing?
Rey: I have something to handle tonight, I will see you tomorrow.
She saw they were sent gaps a part, she sighed and shoved the phone back in her purse not responding. They spent most of the evening here until they decided to head home. She was ready for sleep. She saw Alex’s Porsche in her driveway and knew he was home. They all lived with their cureaters, he had been on a trip for her tying up loose ends of her new pills. The current version of Xodus was starting to be useless in keeping her cimms calm and her dark not so strong. “My sweet pea!” Alex called running to her and hugging her. He was in sweat shorts a white tee shirt and his auburn hair was in its usual modern pompadour.
The cureaters were their body guards turned best friends. They were gay, gorgeous and had known them since they were seven. “How was it?” She asked pulling her heels off. “They’ll be done in two weeks.” Alex grinned. That was a relief she could of held out for a month tops. She kind of felt being dependant on a pill to help manage the Cimmerian wasn’t the best idea but she didn’t know if she was ready to face what she really was just yet. She had an amazing support system; they swore they would love her and stand by her no matter what or who she was.
She settled onto her soft sofa with Alex and told him about today, then cursed when she realized she forgot the notebook. It was ten-thirty but she text Troy anyway asking if he still had it. He text back instantly yes and he could bring it right now. She responded okay and sat the phone down. “What?” She asked Alex who was grinning at her. “He thinks I’m still gone, he thinks he’s gonna get the nookie.” She laughed. “Shut up, he does not!” He laughed back at her.
“Okay, when he gets here you’ll see.” She shook her head and sighed. “Just tell him you have a sexy vampire to please you.” Alex smirked. “I don’t have anything of the sort.” She laughed again. Her phone went off just as she heard a knock on the door. Alex rose to answer the door and she checked her phone. It was from Tracy asking if she would come get her, the guy she was with was being an ass and her phone was dying. Then she text she knew she would because she was her best friend and she was on the upper level of Basque. She sighed and looked up as Alex and Troy came into the room. “So, you guys wanna go to Basque?”
Poem
I can sleep.
I just choose not to.
For I have fallen in love with
the way my mind plays in
the dark night with thoughts of
You. –Mustafa Tattan
CHAPTER THREE
“You guys ready?” Alex asked from the back seat of Troy’s truck. The place was packed. Basque was a hot new nightclub owned by Reyes and his brothers. She had heard it got pretty erotic in there. That was surprising Tracy was here. The little fire elemental was not that type at all. “Let’s be quick.” She said hoping out. The bouncers who were some kind of shifters, she could sense it didn’t even ask for their names they just opened the doors and let them in, not that anyone didn’t know who she was though. They walked down a hall with black suede walls and soft lights on the walls under black shades. She could hear the music pumping and felt soft vibrations on the floor as they walked.
Troy was in front and Alex was behind her. They reached a set of blacked out glass double doors and stepped through them. The scene wasn’t like anything she had ever seen in her life. The whole inside of the bar was lit by red up-lighting, a dark floored dance floor was in the center, and red booths were down the outer sides. “Oh my gods!” Alex yelled from behind her. “Upper Level!” She yelled to Troy so they could get Tracy and get the hell out of here.
Sex, sex was everywhere, and biting. There was a fae smashed between two vampires in a booth with their teeth in her neck and their hands roaming her body. In the booth beside theirs a shifter, she could see her paw birthmark and her Straykova member S inside of it on her lower back as she rode a warlock and another sat and watched. Beings were having sex in a corner and almost on the dance floor. The upper level
looked worse and as they finally found the stairs to get there, it was.
“This is the stuff of my nightmares.” Alex said in her ear. There weren’t booths up here just large L shaped leather sectionals with threesomes taking place and very few twosomes. “Found her, back there.” Troy pointed and she spotted Tracy looking completely out of place and then her blood boiled as she saw Reyes and a gorgeous blonde on a private higher level, his brothers had equally as gorgeous vamps with them. She knew who she was. Olivia, and she had never liked her.
Tracy came running up to them and they quickly dragged her down the stairs.
She felt his eyes on her and the pull which was how she knew he was here in the first place. “You look way better than that ice bitch.” Alex sniffed to her once they were back in the car. Tracy and Troy agreed. She thanked them with a forced smile. She knew she was far from ugly and considered well beyond gorgeous but next to Olivia she felt like an angry leaky boil. They were polar opposites. Olivia had iced blonde hair, the oddest shade of blue and gray mixed eyes, and smooth creamy skin with a beauty mark on the left side of her face; she was her height and had an amazing body. She was also a hundred percent a Straykova member.
Salvadora (The Last Salvadoras #1) Page 2
