Peris. So that’s what they were. Well, what in heaven’s name was a Peri? I had no idea. I returned to the hay loft, constantly on the lookout for enemies. I immediately put the cutter to the chain, pressing the levers together with all the strength I could muster. It took all I had to cut through. Michael was tied up like a burrito, and the chain chafed over his wounds or even cut into them in places. I caused him more pain when I severed coil by coil, especially since the chain stuck to his flesh where the dried blood acted as an adhesive. I tore away bits of tissue and skin as I pulled the links from his frame. I kept muttering: “I am so sorry. This is going to hurt. I’m sorry! Your sister is getting help. Oh, I’m sorry! Then we’ll get you to a hospital and everything will be okay. This will hurt again. I’m so sorry!” I wanted to reassure him, but it was mostly to soothe my own anxiety. I wanted to examine his injuries more closely, but a male voice made me freeze and prick up my ears. “She’s supposed to be in her room. We need to find the girl, and don’t forget: No witnesses!”
How on earth had the mercenaries thought of looking for me here? No witnesses meant they would kill Michael if they found us. I couldn’t let that happen. I looked into the face I had come to love. “They want me alive,” I breathed. Without thinking it through, I crept away from the hayloft, towards the other end of the barn. My plan was to lure these men as far away from Michael as I could. Glancing back over my shoulder I thought I saw him reach out for me. I had barely taken a few steps, when one of the men wanted to open the gate to the hayloft. In an attempt to protect Michael, I loudly stomped my foot to draw their attention. The mercenary’s head jerked in my direction, and he called for the others. Now they were on my heels. My plan had not been thought out beyond this. I ran as fast as I could. In front of the barn, a horse was waiting, saddled and ready. I supposed that Iveria had ridden it, or planned to. I immediately grabbed the reins, put one foot in the stirrup, and tried to mount, but one of the men had caught up with me and was grabbing my foot. He pulled me to the ground, and I landed with my head between the animal’s legs. Beefy hands slipped under my armpits and hauled me up. Then I was dragged towards a waiting car. I wasn’t ready to make it easy for them. I threw my weight against the kidnapper and made him lose his balance. We tumbled to the ground, and he was under me. I tried to get up, but he didn’t let me go, so I kicked my elbow down, hitting his face. He screamed and his grip loosened for a moment. I seized my chance and jumped up, trying to escape, but I wasn’t quick enough. Another one intercepted and caught me. I tried to tear away from him, I jerked and scratched and bit, but I couldn’t shake him off. Two of his colleagues grabbed me by my arms and held me upright so I couldn’t move away, and then the man I had hit appeared before me. He was bleeding from his nose and seemed furious. He swung and let his fist slam straight into my face. I thought my head would explode like a watermelon. I was stunned, but he swung again. This time he hit me in the stomach. That literally took my breath away and I gasped for air. When the next blow hit me in the chest, my legs buckled under me, and I hung limply between the two men. Then I finally managed to draw a shallow breath. Oxygen, what a wonderful feeling!
Before they dragged me away to the car, the man whose nose I had broken rammed his knee into my crotch. I wheezed and writhed. My entire body was in agony, and even breathing was a chore. Another attempt at resistance was answered by a kick to my leg. There was a sickening crunch and I could hear my own scream, before I even felt the pain. My arms and legs were tied with tape. The pain in my injured leg, ramped up by the twisting they’d achieved with the sticky tape, made me cry out, but they stuffed a rag in my mouth and taped it shut. Then I was thrown into the trunk and the car drove off.
7 THE ABDUCTION
Oh, the pain! Although I kept slipping in and out of consciousness, the drive seemed interminable. After what felt like an eternity, the car stopped. I was hauled into a cabin and placed on the floor. It was a log cabin, the kind I remembered from movies about the Gold Rush. One corner was taken up by a massive wooden table and matching corner seat. Opposite the table I spied one of those old wood stoves. The men milled about, busying themselves with all manner of things. One of them was dark-skinned, with a full beard and black hair. Another was tall and hook-nosed. The third was a smarmy little weasel, and the fourth a gray-haired man of average height. He seemed older than the rest. “How long do we have until we need to hand over the goods? Is there still time to have some fun?” the latter guy asked. It was obvious what he meant. I struggled against the tape despite the excruciating pain, but I was bound too tight.
The smarmy guy looked at me with a disconcerting grin. “There should be plenty of time for a little fun.”
That was bad. I was utterly helpless, and I’d never felt so scared in all my life. The dark-haired guy cut through the tape around my ankles. I wriggled away in panic, kicking at him with my good leg. Every small move hurt like hell. I screamed.
The eyes of the gray-haired man lit up with delight. “We have a little wildcat on our hands, people. I love it when they fight!”
Was there really no escape this time? My terror grew. No, there had to be a way out of this! My mind had no use for rational thought anymore; it was in denial and in fight mode. This would not happen to me! No! I fought them with all I had. The smarmy one tore open my blouse, while the guy with the hooked nose unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down. Meanwhile the gray-haired one was taking off his pants. I kicked out again and managed to break the guy’s nose. He cried out, and then I saw my end in his blazing eyes. He swung, but the next moment he was lifted up in the air and thrown across the room with devastating force.
Michael was there, his wounds almost healed. He was livid with rage. My fear evaporated the moment I saw him. I had never felt such relief in my life. I knew I was saved.
He’d brought Daniel, and several minutes later all four men were dead. Why did it take them several minutes? Because my saviors savored every second of it and spared the mercenaries nothing. They incapacitated them within twenty seconds, and then dealt with them one by one. I squeezed my eyes shut and only opened them again when the screaming had stopped. What I had seen was atrocious enough to give me nightmares for months on end.
Daniel looked more rosy-cheeked than ever and Michael had healed completely. He knelt next to me, and as violent he’d been with the men, as lovingly and carefully did he peel back the tape from my lips and freed my arms. He soothed me with his tender voice, kissed me, and started to examine my injuries. “Fractured cheekbone, at least one broken rib, a broken leg and several bruises. Not that terrible actually, it’s all going to be alright again,” he said more to himself than to me. He was trying to hide it, but I could sense that he was still in a rage. Daniel on the other hand appeared excited and euphoric. One might have thought that he’d just returned from a feast. Well, he was a vampire – maybe this was his idea of a great time. He stood next to me with a grin. “Since you showed up things have become interesting again. I haven’t had this much fun in years,” he raved gleefully.
I swallowed, still overwhelmed. How was I supposed to deal with all of this? Sure, they had saved me, and I should be goddamned grateful for that. But at the same time I had just witnessed them killing four men in cold blood and enjoying it. To be honest, I hadn’t expected anything less from Daniel, but from Michael? Apparently I was really more naïve than I cared to think. I concealed my doubts and tried to make my voice sound neutral when I asked: “Did you really have to kill them? Now they cannot tell us who hired them. And what do we do with the bodies?”
Michael kissed me on the forehead. “Believe me, they wouldn’t have told us anything. They couldn’t.” He winked at me before he went on. I normally liked that, but right now … “And let the bodies be my concern.”
He and Daniel hauled the corpses outside and wiped away the blood. The vampire lifted me in his arms. “Come outside, I think you might want to see this.” Michael was standing in a small clearing. The dead
men were in a heap before him. He raised his hands and slowly turned in a circle. In tune with the circular motion, a golden-hued, spiraling fog formed around him, spread to cover the bodies until they were mere silhouettes, hidden from view. What was left of them swiftly disintegrated and was absorbed by the ground. At the same time, a variety of plants started to sprout from the earth. Where the dead bodies had been, a sea of flowers emerged, resplendent in the evaporating haze. I even spied a lotus flower. How was that possible? It was the most frightening and simultaneously the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Michael took me from Daniel’s arms and carried me to their car. “Those men had a photo of me and a plan of the manor,” I told him. He and Daniel exchanged glances, and Daniel disappeared in the cabin once more. When he returned shortly afterwards, he wore a satisfied grin. What was so entertaining?
“How did you find me?” I asked Michael.
“Daniel had gotten a taste of your blood, so it was no problem for him to trace you.”
“How handy.” I didn’t sound very convincing.
“Maybe I should get another taste of your delicious blood, don’t you think? I mean, who’s to know when you’ll go missing again?” Daniel seemed to enjoy riling me up.
I decided to simply ignore him. It was shocking how natural it came to him, seeing human beings as food. Michael made sure I was comfortable in the backseat, got in behind the wheel, and headed for the closest hospital. He was impatient to hear my part of the story. I told him everything about my encounter in the lounge of the manor.
“So you’re a Peris?” I asked casually when I was done, or at least trying to sound casual about it.
“I’m a Peri. Peris is the plural form.”
“Okay, so what does that mean? Or do you want me to google it?” I added mischievously, maybe even with a hint of sarcasm: “Of course you could also manipulate my thoughts so I forget that I ever heard the word Peri.”
Daniel began to laugh. “I like the girl. It will be a pleasure to tease you about all the ways she’ll be giving you hell.”
Michael threw Daniel an unkind glance. “You should get some rest now. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he then said to me.
“Michael, by the way: I haven’t seen you sleep in a while. Don’t you sleep at all?”
“I sometimes do, but I can regenerate in other ways, too,” he explained.
Daniel seemed to find that very amusing. “I’m sure he’ll never need any sleep for as long as you are by his side,” he stated with a chuckle.
I shook my head, confused. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Daniel looked at Michael. “Isn’t that just adorable? She thinks I’m the only monster here.” Michael glared at his friend and turned his head to address me. “You really need rest. We’ll still have to attend the celebration later.”
I didn’t believe my ears, but it was apparent that he meant it. “How were they able to overpower you?” I inquired, wanting to hear his half of the story as well.
He shot me another glance and put a finger to his lips.
“Who were they? Did you recognize their faces?” I probed, unfazed by his gesture, but he didn’t answer me. I gave up and tried to sleep. I woke up when we stopped in the parking lot of the hospital. Thanks to my companions I was first in line, despite an overflowing ER waiting room. The X-rays showed that my cheekbone, two ribs, and my ankle were fractured. The physician on duty wanted to call the police, but it took Daniel a single look into the man’s eyes to make him treat me, give me a generous supply of painkillers, and then forget all about our visit within seconds. My leg was in a cast now, so Michael carried me back out to the car, and we were quickly en route to the manor house once again. Michael mentioned that it belonged to his father, which didn’t surprise me the least.
Once in the car I immediately fell asleep. I woke up when we arrived back at the manor. The good thing about the cast was that Michael had to carry me everywhere. I reveled in his proximity and inhaled his dizzying scent.
In the elevator I was confronted with my reflection for the first time. The mirrored back wall showed me that my left cheek was swollen grotesquely, and there was a small laceration over my cheekbone. I was worried that I would never look the way I had before. I thought it would be better if nobody saw me like this. I’d never gone through so many things in such a short amount of time.
When we reached the suite, Michael took a few items of clothing from the closet and disappeared in one of the bathrooms. Iveria entered the front room and explained that Michael had asked her to help me doll up for the celebration. She had also brought me a sandwich. “Michael wants you to eat something before we head downstairs.” After I’d timidly pointed out that I couldn’t really chew with a fractured cheekbone, she went to fetch a bowl of soup and a carton of yogurt. After I’d eaten, she cleaned the dried blood and dirt from my face, washed my hair, and helped me put on a dress. She kept whispering unintelligible things the whole time. Next she put on my make-up, an endeavor I thought futile, what with my black and blue face and my swollen cheek. Then she pushed a wheelchair into the bedroom. She saw my face when I looked at the unwieldy thing, and said: “The evening will be exhausting enough with all your injuries. They battered you badly. I hope Michael and Daniel took their time taking them out.”
What was I supposed to say to that? Nothing, it turned out, for Michael came out of the bathroom at that moment. “We didn’t have a lot of time. They didn’t suffer nearly enough, but suffer they did.” He lifted me into the wheelchair, thanked his sister, and pushed me out the door and down the corridor. Iveria followed us. As usual, Michael looked stunning.
I had almost been raped mere hours ago. I felt I had earned a little time to cry on my own in the safety of a quiet room. Hence my voice was crabby when I asked Michael why we had to go to this party.
“Because we’re taking a stand. You might even say we’re pressing a point,” was his terse reply. “Whoever is responsible for what happened today, we’re not afraid of them,” he added when he saw my incomprehension.
“They’ll get that when they look at you. But why do I have to go?” He rolled his eyes with a grin and reached for my hand. “If I showed up without you, that would be construed as me being worried I could not protect you.”
Had he been so furious back in the cabin because the men had insulted his honor, or because he had been worried about me? I suspected it was the former. Great. “I understand,” was all I had to say to his explanations – and to my realization. When I caught my reflection again in the elevator, I was even less thrilled to take part in the evening’s festivities. Before we entered the ballroom, he explained: “Officially, you fell down the stairs and broke your leg.” And after a brief pause, he enjoined me: “Please try not to draw undue attention.”
How was I supposed to accomplish that? I was sitting in a wheelchair, my face beaten black and blue. Of course I would draw attention.
We entered a gorgeous ballroom with servers offering beverages and snacks. There was nothing supernatural about this event. I don’t know what I’d expected, for after all Michael had told me beforehand that their human business partners would be invited as well. I parked my wheelchair in a corner, intending to spend my evening right there, mostly out of sight. Thanks to the painkillers I felt reasonably well, considering the circumstances.
Michael and Iveria quickly disappeared into the crowd to discuss ‘business,’ as they called it. I had leisure to look around and scan the room. When I spied several prominent public figures, I hoped even more fervently that nobody would see me in my current state. After a while Daniel came over to keep me company. I can’t say that I was thrilled.
He studied my face. “Iveria is really incredibly talented; I can’t see a single bruise.”
“Thank you, that wasn’t easy,” Iveria replied proudly. I hadn’t seen her sneak up on me! “The usual spells were like water off a duck’s back, so I enchanted the make-up instead before putting it on her, an
d it worked!” I looked at her in confusion. “What the devil are you talking about? I saw my reflection in the elevator.”
“Whatever you saw in the mirror, all everyone in here can see is your leg in a cast. Trust me, you look stunning.”
“How long do I have to stay?” I really wanted an answer to this question, because I wouldn’t stay a single minute longer than I had to.
She gave me a look of disapproval. “For a while, Melanie, so you should try and enjoy yourself.”
I gave her a look that was supposed to make clear just how improbable it was that I might enjoy anything right then. I’d been abducted and beaten, and I had witnessed the slaughter of several men. I could do a lot of things now, but amusement wasn’t in the cards. Daniel excused himself and returned with a tray filled with shot glasses. I smelled Tequila. “Really? Couldn’t you find anything stronger?” I asked him in a reproachful voice.
He gave us each a glass, saying: “For your nerves. Shut up and drink!”
Normally I would never have mixed alcohol and drugs, but what can I say, I was so messed up and agitated that I didn’t even realize that this was what I was doing. I was also distracted by the question what a vampire wanted with Tequila. I gave Daniel a wide-eyed look: “Doesn’t Tequila mess with your diet?”
“We’re able to ingest human food as well, though most of it tastes horrible. And it works only if we get the necessary nutrition and don’t forget our main diet. Good to see you again,” Daniel’s brother Jeremeia chimed in. I hadn’t seen him sneak up on me either! The last time I’d seen him was when he’d bitten Sarah. Imagine the type of Italian gigolo women pine for, with black hair, soulful brown eyes, and a bit of stubble – that was Jeremeia for you. Even his outfit suited the image. He took a shot glass from the tray and toasted us before he downed it. “I heard you had a rough day.”
Peris Night: Terakon (Secret Language) Page 8
