The Rise (The Alexa Montgomery Saga)

by Gordon, H. D.

  Book three of the Alexa Montgomery Saga

  The Rise

  “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”

  -A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

  Copy right by H. D. Gordon, all rights reserved worldwide under Berne Convention. May not be copied or distributed without prior written permission. If you have this file (or a printout) you are depriving the author and publisher of their rightful royalties and are punishable under law.

  For my Mommy, who told me to get back on my unicorn and ride.

  Prologue

  “Oh, I believe I understand what you’re asking for quite well, young Sun Warrior. My question for you is how much are you willing to give to save her?”

  Cold sweat ran down my back. My left eye twitched. My answer sounded in the voice of my monster; cold, flat, but I felt it come from deep within the heart and soul we shared. “Everything,” I said.

  “That silver on your arm, has it reached your back?”

  I just stared at the back of his hooded head, only his left hand visible, where it ran the paintbrush along the wall. Yes, the silver had reached my back. I had the feeling that he knew this, so I didn’t answer.

  He turned for the first time, just his head, and underneath I caught a glimpse of eyes like milky marbles, all white, for just a moment, and then his attention turned back to the wall. “I suppose it doesn’t matter either way then, does it?”

  I said nothing. No, it didn’t matter. It never had. I would sell my soul for her, die for her and walk the Shadowlands for the rest of eternity, if that’s what it took. That had never been a question. During all the points in my life when I had been lost, really lost and terrified at the horrors that seemed to love to haunt me, my love for her had been the one thing that pushed me forward. She was my purpose. When I knew nothing else, I knew this.

  The words fell from my lips as if they had always been there, just waiting for their moment to spill out. “Tell me how to save her,” I said, “and show me where to sign my name.”

  Alexa

  We could just kill her, you know.

  I leaned my head against the window and rubbed my temples. The world beyond was dark and quiet and rushing by at a break-neck speed that could not be fast enough, so I shut my eyes. I felt a little nauseated. I had gone a full twenty-four hours without sleep. I was too full of adrenaline and nerves to sleep now, even though it would be wise. We were still four and a half hours from our destination. The voice of the other in my head was not a welcome one at the moment.

  Just kill her. Shut her up once and for all. What do you say, Warrior? It teased in my head. I hated the inflection it put on that last word.

  Needing distraction, I opened my eyes a bit and looked to my left. Kayden sat in the driver’s seat of my friend Tommy’s Mercedes. His grip on the steering wheel was firm, and his handsome face said nothing. His golden eyes were focused intently on the highway, and the set of his jaw made me hold my breath a little too long. He was as nervous as I was. I could tell, even if he was a master at hiding it. Somehow, I had a feeling like we were going to be too late. In the space of an hour, I had grown to loathe and fear those two words.

  My Mother was lying down in the backseat, still in poor physical condition due to the treatment that she had received in the prison Kayden and I had just freed her from. Her body was not much more than skin and bones. Her complexion was ashen and her face was sunken in and hollow. But she already looked better than she had a few hours ago. I had been feeding her my blood since we rescued her. I’ve got pretty good blood.

  Unfortunately for me, my Mother’s mouth seemed to be working just as well as ever. Some things would never change.

  “Let’s hope Nelly is okay,” she said. “You never should have left her to save me. Foolish.”

  I couldn’t agree more. Why did we rescue her, Warrior? I can’t remember now.

  Ignoring the voice in my head, and my Mother’s slightly more annoying voice, I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans and took three deep breaths. Everything was going to be all right. I had to believe that. My sister Nelly was a smart girl. She was strong. She would be all right.

  “Nelly is the one they want. If they get her, there’s no telling what could come of it,” my Mother continued. “And here you are so eager to start a war. Do you understand what kind of destruction you are capable of, Alexa?”

  Laughter rang out in my head. The voice of my other, my Monster, was amused. Oh, yes, Mother, I believe our little Warrior understands perfectly just what she is capable of. Have you taken notice of the silver on our arm? It has made its way across our back.

  It couldn’t matter less right now that I was going more and more crazy by the minute. It couldn’t matter less that my Mother was going on and on about how much I’d messed up. It didn’t matter that the dark side of me was growing stronger and stronger, the voice of my Monster more persistent. Nelly was all that mattered. It was a good thing that I wasn’t driving, because I would put the pedal to the floor right now. I had never been so worried in my entire life.

  Something warm and rough touched my hand, and I looked over to see that Kayden had placed his hand over mine. He was still staring straight ahead at the road, but I knew that he could tell that I was in a bad way at the moment. Kayden knew that Nelly was everything to me. He knew that my worry over her was practically killing me. He had said nothing when I’d woken him to tell him that we had to head back to Two Rivers immediately because Nelly was in terrible danger. He had loaded the bags in the car and hopped in the driver’s seat. Even if I weren’t in love with him for various other reasons, I would love him just for this. I didn’t need to hear how bad I had messed up. I knew.

  There are some things that I don’t entirely blame myself for. The world I have found myself in is still very new to me. Until about a month ago I had no idea that vampires and werewolves and secret cities such as Two Rivers even existed, so I don’t blame myself for questioning my place in this new world. I don’t entirely blame myself for the lives I have taken, either. I am well aware that killing is wrong, under most circumstances, but I also know that I enjoy doing it very much. I accept only partial blame because I was born this way. I was born a monster. Also, some folks just need to die.

  If given time, I may even forgive myself for all that I have done. I may forget the faces of those I’ve watched die at my hands. Right now that seems impossible, but I’ve learned time is not something to be underestimated.

  However, if something happened to Nelly, I would never forgive myself. The only real purpose that I have had for my eighteen years of life has been to protect her. I have come to the conclusion that it was not only my Mother’s trainings, where she would drill it into me to keep Nelly safe, but my nature. I was born to kill, sure, but maybe that was because I was also born to protect. If I had a higher purpose, it was Nelly. I would watch the world die before I would see my sister fall. I believe I have mentioned that I have a few screws loose.

  “This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen,” said my Mother. “They will kill her if they find out what she is, Alexa.”

  I’m going to kill her if she doesn’t shut up, whether you agree or not, Warrior, my Monster snarled in my head.

  This made me cringe. The words, coupled with my Mother’s harsh way of delivering them, were almost enough to make me grip the sides of my head and scream. She acted as though by reprimanding me we would reach Two Rivers sooner. The solution to everything that my Monster always offered was awful – because it was kind of appealing at the moment. Then, a welcome rush of warmth and comfort went through me
as Kayden’s hand tightened over mine. I swallowed hard.

  “Ma’am,” Kayden said, his voice light and deep with his slight Scottish accent. He kept his eyes on the road. “I mean no disrespect and I have no intent of crossing any lines—

  “Mr. Wallace,” my Mother interrupted, “In my experience, whenever someone opens with those words he means to do the exact opposite of what he says.”

  Kayden continued on undeterred. “Alexa has been through, well, hell since you were captured. She has done nothing but her best to protect her sister. She is only eighteen, and in my opinion, she has done a great job dealing with all the things that have been thrown her way.”

  My Mother offered some retort, but I had tuned out of the conversation in search of my pack of cigarettes. My Mother had no idea that I smoked, but at the moment, I could care less what she said about the habit. If I was old enough to kill and die for my people, I was old enough to have a cigarette when I pleased. Right now, I pleased.

  I found the cigarettes and my lighter in the glove compartment and sighed as I removed a smoke and placed it between my lips. I could faintly hear my Mother telling Kayden off. Kayden was silent, and I had a feeling that he was hearing no more of what she was saying than I was. In case it’s not obvious, my Mother can be the type of person that you will either tune out or punch in the face. Choosing the former is a wise choice for most anyone. My Mother is a formidable fighter. After all, she trained me.

  Flicking the lighter to life, I set the flame to the end of my cigarette and pulled smoke deep into my lungs. I felt no noticeable relief in tension. I was a cord wound ten turns too tight.

  Or too late.

  Too late. Too late. Too late.

  I shook my head in an attempt to literally shake away those ugly thoughts. As I placed the cigarette to my lips once more, my Mother’s hand shot forward from the back seat. I was taken off guard and surprised by her swiftness considering her condition, but I am a Warrior, and no one moves faster than me.

  Catching her by the wrist just before her fingers reached the cigarette between my teeth, I gripped her a little harder than was necessary. My Mother did not wince, though I knew she felt the force of it. It was all I could do at the moment to keep myself from breaking the bones in her wrist. They were weak and fragile from the malnourishment she had endured in the prison known as Dangeon. It would be so easy to crush the bones in her wrist to dust. My Monster was practically salivating in my head.

  Before I turned my head to look at my Mother, I took one more deep drag on the cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly, hoping that some of the anger that I always carried around with me would be expelled right along with it. Instead, it seemed to just be venting the fire that lives within me. When I did look back, I looked back into the hazel eyes of the woman who had helped to make me what I am today. The woman who had shown me how to kill.

  I’m not sure what she saw in my eyes, but when I looked into hers I was reminded of all the things that had happened to me in the past month. I had learned many things since the last time I had seen my Mother, which was over a month ago. Things had changed. Things had happened. I was not the same person as I was before. My blindfold had been abruptly removed, the ignorance of childhood right along with it.

  I know now that I am what is called a Sun Warrior; the last of a race of supernatural Warriors that were bred and built for battle and killing. More importantly, I know that this power I have comes with a huge price. The more I kill, the more I want to kill. The voice that I hear and refer to in my head as my Monster is a part of me that is hard to ignore. When I let it take control I am unstoppable. When I deny its urges I still have to listen to its crap. I fear I am losing my marbles as a result of it. I fear that one day the beast in me will break free and seize complete control. Many would die. The thought does not make me shiver. It should.

  My sister, Nelly, is also one of a kind. Nelly is what is known as a Searcher—a type of vampire that is able to literally Search the souls of the people they come in contact with; see their thoughts, know their secrets and true desires. Nelly is different because she is only half-Searcher. The other half of her is unheard of. The other half of her is Lamia. This is why she would be killed if people were to find out what she is. The Lamia are highly feared, for very good reason. As far as I know, Nelly’s Searching abilities are stronger because of her Lamia half. How much stronger? I didn’t know.

  The part I do blame myself for is leaving Nelly back at Two Rivers when I went in search of my Mother. When I left, I assumed that she would be safe there. I was wrong. The city of Two Rivers is beautiful and opulent, but all that glitter hides some pretty ugly secrets. Snakes in the grass and smiles on the faces of strangers… yeah, I should have known better. In hindsight it all seems so clear.

  Two Rivers is hidden in the middle of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. To find it, one must first be of supernatural blood, and also make a daunting trek through miles of dense forest. If you are human, you won’t even be able to see it. Two wide rivers run parallel on either side of it, and a high wall surrounds the place as well. Everyone and everything there is attractive. The two non-murderous races of vampires, Searchers and Brockens, live harmoniously with werewolves there. The two rivers flanking the city keep out the Lamias, who are unable to cross over running water. The children attend school and the older people work. Sounds fine, right?

  Wrong. Beyond the city, behind the same walls and between the same rivers, is a village. In this village the outcasts of the supernatural society are milked for their blood and eventually murdered. They are slaves. Men, women, children. The deformed, handicapped, elderly, weak. The people who live in Two Rivers do not know that this is what becomes of them when they outgrow their use. A magic substance in the food keeps the knowledge from them, but I am beginning to think that more people know than I am aware of.

  The man who put them there is known simply as the King. I have met him once. He made me fight Kayden. I hate him for that. The King is also responsible for the enslaved villagers. I suspect that he is the reason that the Lamia attacked my house on that night that now seems so very long ago, back when my world had been right-side-up. I believe he was the one who had the Lamia take my Mother, leaving me to think that she was dead, leaving me lost and charged to take care of my little sister while coping with this insane world I seemed to just have been dropped into. He was the reason that I was half-mad at the moment. Well, maybe not entirely the reason, but both halves of me were in complete agreement that we wanted to see the King dead. Yes, if it were to be the last thing I ever did, I would see the King dead.

  I felt the right side of my mouth pull up in a small, crooked smile. Realizing that I still had hold of my Mother’s wrist, I loosened my grip and saw purple marks on her skin in place of my fingers. She withdrew her arm slowly, poorly contained fire behind her eyes. She wanted to hit me. I could see that clearly. Holding her cold gaze, I wondered if she would try.

  Oh, yes, yes, try Mother Dearest. Just try.

  I took another pull of the cigarette. I would not lose it in the car. I would not flip out on my Mother, nor would I succumb to my Monster. Not because I am strong, but because neither of the two mattered. Nelly mattered. I had to get to her, and that was all.

  Because on top of all the other craziness, there was a prophecy that claimed that my sister, my Nelly, would be the one to liberate the people under the King’s hard hands. It also said that she would lose her life in the process.

  Not on my watch. No. Way.

  Except, right now, I was afraid my watch was running too late. Now, I shivered.

  Turning away from my Mother, I leaned my head against the car window once more and watched the night rushing by outside. This time, I reached out and took Kayden’s hand, but not even his touch could take my worry away.

  “You don’t have to tell me how bad I screwed up,” I said. “I know.”

  Nelly

  When I was a little girl, sometimes, when the weathe
r was warm and the night was clear, I would sneak out of my bedroom window and lay on the grass beside our house. I would lie there and breathe, staring up at the night sky, and I would feel.

  Those were times when I still felt good about being what I am, times when I could still look around me and have hope. Back then, I reveled in the feel of it all. What a gift, I would think, lying on my back and searching the stars. If I concentrated hard enough, I could feel the life that hummed from the grass beneath me, the trees, the flowers. I could hear the thoughts of the animals, simple, nonsensical things, carried to me on the breath of the wind. I could see the light of it all, and the dark, and appreciate the contrast, knowing that one could not exist without the other.

  It was Soul Searching in its truest form, only I was Searching the Soul of the universe. I would wonder at just being a piece in a puzzle too large to even contemplate. Staring up at the heavens, I would find the light and the dark there, too. And, if I really tried, I could feel the thrum of distant life, so slight and so far and so beautiful.