by Leeah Taylor
“Go back to the farm and then to the Bottom.” William pushed the truck hard again. It whined and protested against the abuse.
“Why the farm?” Markus asked, stealing a glimpse of his brother. Sweat was forming on his brow and there was a glint of red in his eyes. “Oh never mind.”
“What? What is it?” Miranda looked back and forth between them.
“How long since your last?”
“Sunday I think.” William bit at the inside of his lip, struggling to maintain the rabid Beast within him. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. His entire body pulsing for the fix.
“Damn it, William. This is exactly what I was worried about,” Markus scolded him.
“What is the matter?” Miranda demanded, leaning forward between the two front seats.
“He’s having withdrawals because he’s stupid.”
“Markus, don’t start,” William warned. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm and swallowed hard. The truck felt like it was going in slow motion, no matter how far his foot pressed down on the gas pedal.
“Are you going to make it to the farm house?” Markus asked, growing concerned at how fast William was spiraling out of control. His brother’s hands held tightly to the steering wheel, showing the whites of his knuckles. He was sure if he pulled his hand away they would be shaking now. “William!?”
“Just do your thing and find our father,” William said. He could feel tension building in his shoulders now. His hands gripped the wheel as tightly as he could to keep from shaking. The last time he had gone through withdrawals was in his earlier years, when he had first started feeding. When he didn’t know any better.
“Are you going to make it?” Markus pushed again.
William’s hand came back and hit the steering wheel hard. “Just find Merrick, okay?! Please!”
Markus gave Miranda a nervous sideways glance; she shook her head and shrugged. Focusing his energy, he closed his eyes and tapped into his internal GPS. A skill he had learned and honed over the years. Where Miranda was superb at conjuring or dissolving just about anything, he could locate anyone if he focused enough.
He pictured his father from the photos his mother had shown him over the years, pushing to feel what his father may be feeling. An image of the Bottom flashed into his mind and he pushed further. It was a bar, no it was an underground meeting place. His eyes shot open.
“They’re hiding out in Julep’s.” he said, recognizing the spot almost instantly. Miranda and he had been to the place a handful of times. It wasn’t often either of them went to the Bottom world, and when they did they wanted their privacy. Julep’s gave them that.
“Okay good.” William nodded. It gave him some relief at least knowing where they were. Now he just had to make it to the house and feed his addiction before he lost it.
The truck barreled down the dirt driveway towards the house. William slammed on the brakes and didn’t wait for his brother or Miranda to catch up as he jumped from it. His mind was focused on one thing and that was satiating the Beast. Pacifying it long enough to let him focus and regroup himself to get to Becca.
He walked with intent through the kitchen, not bothering to turn any lights on, and to the cellar door hidden in the back of the room. Jerking the door open, he took the stairs almost two at a time, a feat for anyone but he needed what was down there. On the other side of the room was an upright fridge; his hand closed around the handle. Inside were a dozen untouched bags of blood, acquired from a blood bank in Atlanta. It had cost him dearly to attain but it was worth every penny. William picked one up and uncapped it, throwing the plastic piece to the ground. He tilted his head back and emptied the entire bag into his mouth.
It slid down his tongue and to the back of his throat, and then took off through his system. The Beast growled into submission as it lapped up the powerful substance. It recoiled with each drop it took in, giving William back control.
His hand pressed up against the fridge door and he took in deep breaths. The drug-induced high peaked quickly and leveled out as the blood made its rounds through his system.
“Do you know how freaking stupid you are?” Markus stood at the bottom step watching his brother. “I mean do you really know?”
“Not now, Markus!” William turned and started for the stairs. Markus’ hand grabbed hold of his arm and stopped him. Their eyes met.
“Then when?”
“After I get Becca back. That’s when.” William jerked his arm away. “Let’s go.”
Markus wanted to grab hold of him and shake the sense into him. Make him see how irrational and reckless he was being. But he tucked the feeling away, promising himself that he would make him see when they returned. He was done watching his brother unravel in front of him. When they got back he was going to end it once and for all.
They met Miranda in the kitchen and she offered a hand to each brother. William rolled his eyes, already silently protesting to Traveling.
“Do you want to get her back or not?” Miranda asked. He took the hand and readied himself for the assault on his body. “Julep’s, right?”
“Yep.” Markus nodded, taking her other hand.
With the circle closed, she gave it nothing more than a quick thought. She let her mind set on the look of the building, feeling of the atmosphere, and in a blink the three vanished into darkness. Every side of the universe pulled at them and crushed them, threatening to set their bodies on fire as they thrust through the layers of the earth.
Their feet landed on hard ground and William stumbled back, holding to his chest. “I fucking hate that,” he growled.
Behind them was an old abandoned building, the windows dark and lifeless. The street they stood on, like an alleyway, was empty. A few bystanders stood at the very end, not giving much attention to their arrival. Beneath the building they could hear chatter, laughing and music. The sound was coming up from a flight of stairs that sank down into the pavement, a door waiting for them.
“Shall we?” Markus motioned towards it.
William led the way down the stairs and through the door. The music pulsed more loudly from the live band on the other side of the room. The room was packed tonight, people lining the bar and tables inside. Unlike humans, vampires and other species didn’t have the same emotional effect on them. It was there but wasn’t debilitating like human emotions and energy.
“Can I help you?” a man asked from behind the bar, eyeing the three of them. William went over and leaned against the counter.
“Maybe, we’re looking for someone,” he began. “Two men. Might know them by name. Merrick Marks and Tobias Lorde.”
The bar fell silent almost immediately as he spoke their names. Markus and Miranda exchanged glances and took a step backwards.
“Now what would make you think two wanted criminals would be here in my bar?” the man asked, sizing up William.
“Why would you ask that question if they weren’t here?” William countered with a smirk. “Now where are they?”
“I suggest you three walk away now,” a heavily tattooed man said, rising from his stool.
William narrowed his eyes at him. The man was from the Beast Nation. He could tell that much almost instantly.
“I’m not going anywhere until you produce Merrick Marks. Just point the way.”
William stood toe to toe with the man, who was a good six inches taller than him. The biker looking man looked at the bartender.
“Who are you?” The biker asked
“I’m his son,” William said firmly, without emotion. But there was conviction in his tone.
The bar filled with murmurs at the revelation. And the bartender nodded with a sigh.
“Toby, Mik! Better get out here!” he yelled behind him. “Think there is someone here to see you.”
A door at the end of the bar swung open and two men came out. One taller than the other. Merrick, being the taller one, had the same dark brown hair as his sons, and piercing
green eyes. Two-day-old stubble covered his face. The other man, Tobias, was shorter with golden blonde hair and brown eyes. They both froze as their eyes came upon their children.
“Markus? William?” Merrick lifted the hinged partition next to him to come out from behind the bar. He shook his head as he went to them, Tobias behind him. “What are you doing down here?”
“Did you actually plan on going to get Sarah? Or better yet…” William paused and made eye contact with Tobias. “Becca.”
“What are you talking about? Becca’s in the castle?” Tobias felt a flood of emotions hit him at the news.
“Yeah. Caleb came and took her not three hours ago,” he said.
“Why? How did he even know who she was?”
“Guess your secrets are all out on the table now.” William tightened his lips.
“We gotta go. Now!” Merrick declared. “We can’t wait any longer.”
“What the hell were you waiting on in the first place?” Markus through his hands up. “For Viktor to announce the public execution?”
“It doesn’t matter.” William turned and went for the door. “Let’s just get this done and over with.”
Tobias and Merrick reluctantly followed them out and into the street. A light rain had started while they were inside. It made it hot and muggy as the street cooled from the day’s hot sun beating on it.
“Was there a plan?” William asked.
“We can’t travel or portal in. The castle is cloaked. Our only feasible option is to go through one of the back entrances leading into the prison cells,” Merrick said, keeping a close eye on William.
“Okay and then what?” Markus asked.
“Open a portal door back to the Surface in the clearing behind the castle. We can all slip through without anyone knowing.” Tobias hid the smile he had for Miranda. She looked more like him than her mother. Long blonde hair, brown eyes. But it stopped there. She had Sarah’s light skin with barely a touch of tan. Freckles lightly touched her exposed shoulders.
“Then let’s do it,” William said. “Miranda? Travel?”
“Sure.” She nodded, offering him the same hand as before.
“Son?” Merrick started, but the daring glare he met stopped him.
“Don’t,” William said through gritted teeth. “Just don’t.”
The five of them disappeared into the darkness, set on rescuing Sarah and Becca from Viktor’s grasp.
Chapter 13
Dragging Becca down a cold, dimly lit maze-like corridor, Caleb grabbed her hair even tighter before he stopped and opened the large steel door. He threw her inside, Becca’s knees hitting hard against the stone floor, and a yelp escaped her throat.
Sarah hurried to her, narrowing her eyes up at the boy. He slammed the door shut and the sound of it locking resonated through the room. She pulled Becca up from the floor and gave her a once-over look, and noticed Becca’s shirt was covered in blood splotches.
“Come on baby, sit up here and let me see,” Sarah pleaded as her fingers went for the hem of her shirt. Becca pushed her mother’s hands away and her terror filled eyes darted around the room.
“Becca honey, just let me see.”
“You’re dead.” Her lip quivered as she tried to stand on shaking legs. “You’re fucking dead.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. I know that’s what you believed.” She reached for her but Becca’s hand shot up, warning her to stay away. “It was the only way to keep you safe.”
“Safe from what, mom?” Becca asked. She winced as she pushed up to the wall. Her body brutalized and violated. Tightly her arm went across her body, holding it. The pulsing in her abdomen was sharp and constant.
Viktor had spared her nothing as he explored every inch of her body. Letting his fangs sink in where he pleased. It took a handful of bites before her body began to weaken, the effects of his debilitating bite releasing a toxin that relaxed its victim.
“Let me see how bad it is. Okay?” Sarah pulled the collar of her daughter’s shirt away from her neck, revealing several deep bite marks.
“Did he bite you anywhere else?”
Her eyes filled up with tears and she fought to keep them from spilling over. Becca lifted her shirt and her belly was covered in bruises and bites.
“He bit me everywhere, mom. Everywhere.” Becca fell into her mother’s arms and cried hysterically. Sarah felt relieved to embrace her daughter after so many years away from her.
“Don’t worry baby, it’s gonna be okay. I promise.” She held her even tighter. “Someone is going to come for us. I promise.”
“Who, mom? Who is going to come for us?” she whimpered.
Sarah pulled her away and wiped away her tears. “Do you remember anything?”
“Remember what, mom?” Becca didn’t understand – what was she supposed to remember?
“Do you have any memories of before I died?” she asked more specifically.
Becca thought about it but nothing came to her, and she shook her head.
“I want to do something right by you, my beautiful girl. I see now the damage your father and I did to you and your sisters. To all of you. So this much I can give you.”
“All of us? Sisters? Mom? What are you talking about?” Becca shook her head. She almost thought she was still in a nightmare. Stuck in between reality and this place. But the pain she felt in every joint and muscle told her it was reality.
Sarah didn’t say any more; instead she touched Becca’s hand with one of her own, and with the other, she lightly touched the temple of Becca’s head.
“Mom, what are you doing?”
Sarah made a shushing sound, closed her eyes and began to utter something in a foreign language. Becca started to feel something inside her: a mixture of Vampyr and Conjurer together as though the species had been baking together.
As if Becca had been struck in the face, a whirlwind of memories came flooding through her mind. Her eyes widened and everything became a little clearer: the farm, William, Z, Nikki, Uncle Danny. All of the memories seeped into her skin like acid. It left her breathless.
A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks as old but new memories played inside her mind.
She remembered herself and her sisters playing on the front porch of the farmhouse, William and his brothers playing tag in the yard. Late night movie night with their mothers, baking cookies with Caroline. Uncle Danny and Uncle Craeden telling them fantastical stories from their childhoods. And then the power.
An electric surge jolted through her, awakening the mingled creatures inside her. Conjurer came to life, filling her mind with impossible recipes and knowledge. And then the vampire. The monster inside her shook from its hibernation.
The memories flurried into place until a true final memory stuck in her head. Her sister, the brothers went to bed one night and when they woke everything had changed. Their lives had forever changed in a single night. And until now Becca hadn’t even known it. At a tender age of six she woke to her Uncle Danny telling her that Sarah had died in a car accident.
Becca’s eyes shot open and locked with her mother’s.
“What did you do?” she muttered, feeling the residual effects of the unnatural memories trying to force their way into her timeline.
“Becca…you have to understand everything we did was to ensure this day could come. To make sure the six of you survived so that one day you could become the Heir and Heiress.”
“The Heir and….the what?”
They were still foreign terms to her, but somehow they felt right. She searched her mind for the new knowledge. Only tidbits would come through, but nothing to further help her understand. Before her mother could explain anymore, the sound of the massive steel door caught their attention and they both looked up. Tobias and Merrick stood tall in the doorway. A smile swept across Sarah’s face when she saw them, and she leapt up into Tobias’ arms.
“I knew you would come,” she whispered to him. He squeezed her even tighter, nuzzling
his nose into her bright red locks. But then he looked down to the stone floor, his daughter staring up at him in shock.
“Daddy.” It was almost inaudible as the picture she had kept loyally next to her bedside flashed into her mind. He was no different from the man in the photograph. She hurried to her feet, wincing at the movement, and raced into his arms. It forced him backwards and he became overwhelmed by the reunion.
“My little Becca.” He pulled his arms around her and refused to let go. For him it had been 27 years since he saw her. Since he had held her. The moment too brief.
Both men had risked so much to be there with their wives on that night. Only days after the accusations had been made. It was one of the few times he and Merrick hadn’t butted heads with each other. Neither knew the next time they would see their wives or children. So in a hasty irrational moment they snuck to the Surface under the cover of a very powerful Magi, a man who had escaped to the Dark for unspeakable, heinous crimes. A man they would later learn had an ulterior motive for helping them. The Magi had given them one night under his cloaking protection in exchange for their valuable, extinct blood.
Tobias remembered it too well, the feel of each of his daughters in his arms.
“Merrick.” Sarah hugged him tightly, relieved to have them back with her.
“Are you both okay?” he asked, keeping a watchful eye on either end of the corridor, expecting a guard to come at any moment.
“Ummm, Becca….she needs healing…” She began stealing a look at the sight of Tobias and his daughter. “Viktor hurt her pretty bad.”
Tobias’ eyes flared and waves of rage coursed over him. Viktor would pay for that.
“Toby, we need to hurry,” Merrick urged him. He grew more uneasy with every minute they stayed there.
“Come on, sweetie.” He pulled Becca under his arm and led her down the dark, damp hall. Merrick took the lead and stopped just short of the end.
He peered around the corner to ensure no one was coming. “Okay, let’s go.” He waved them on.
They rushed down the hall and towards a steel door. Merrick pushed it open and a burst of cool air hit them all. “William, Miranda and Markus are waiting just down in the clearing.”
