by M. R. Polish
What was that other antidote? I needed to figure it out and fast. I knew from Ailaina’s dream that it had something to do with magical blood—but what?
I thought more on that then stopped. “Wait a minute. How exactly is Nicholas creating vampires? I thought he was a warlock.”
Jarak dipped his head. “He has many loyal vampires who work for him and support his cause.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little weird that Meadow, Victor, Trevor and Ree are the only ones who seem to know anything about Nicholas? I might be a little off here, but hear me out.” I couldn’t believe what I was about to say. My heart beat faster, and I twisted on the couch to see Jarak better, lowering the newspaper from his sight.
“What if the plan to turn Meadow wasn’t an accident? I mean, you grew up with your grandfather, and he never mentioned any of this. What if they tricked you into helping Nicholas find me? Look at the airport, somebody tipped them off that I’d be there.”
He sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ve never thought of this before, but you’re right. It might be a set up, but why would Meadow use you? It doesn’t make sense.”
“What’s in it for them?” Ailaina asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
A scream echoed outside the house and the sound of running footsteps fell on the porch. Whoever it was, pounded on the door. “Let me in—help!”
I lifted my hands toward the door, ready to use whatever magic I held to defend us. Jarak was on his feet, brushing past me and opening the door before I could blink.
A girl with blood running down her neck fell inside onto the floor.
I gasped.
Ailaina jumped from the couch and rushed over to where the girl lay, then leaned over and searched for a pulse. “It’s weak, but it still beats.”
Jarak picked her up and moved her out of the way so we could shut the door. “I think the vampire tried turning her and brought her up the mountain for a reason. Unfortunately, I think he let her escape on purpose. What are the odds she’d find us?”
“I’ll be right back.” I ran around the inside of the house, in every room, around every wall. I used the outside energy to block the house and redid my protection spell. My pulse quickened in my neck making me sick.
We couldn’t afford to be off guard with an intruding vampire. I ran back downstairs to where Jarak laid the poor girl on the floor next to the fireplace, the warmest place in the house.
“Is she okay?” I cringed as I saw her wound clearer. A set of fangs had made a deep gnash on the side of her neck.
“I’m not sure yet, all we can do is wait.” Ailaina sat back on her knees. It was weird seeing how calm and collected she was. It was as if she knew what to do in every situation.
“Does she have ID?” I asked.
Ailaina patted her down, searching for anything on her. She reached inside her coat pocket and pulled out a small clutch wallet then handed it to me.
I was afraid to open it—afraid to find out who it belonged to. My hands shook as I opened it. Stephanie—I spotted the first name and thought I would throw up. She had to be one of the missing travelers from the paper. It mentioned a Stephanie in the list of missing names.
“Do you think she got away before they were able to give her their venom?” I remembered how Ree and Trevor had to give Meadow the same amount of venom as the blood they took.
Jarak shook his head. “I think so. Her wounds would’ve healed by now, or at least started to.”
I let out a sigh of relief. That was good. I didn’t want to see her become something she had no choice in, and I didn’t want to have to kill her for being a vampire. I truly hated those creatures. I didn’t want to be like some vampire slayer, but if the shoe fits, wear it.
“I think it’s time,” I whispered.
“Time for what?” Jarak’s eyes gave away lines of worry as he watched me.
“We need to find them before they hurt any more innocent people.” My eyes watered, making it hard to see clearly.
He stood up and walked to me. “Are you strong enough?”
“I’m fine.” I waved him off. “Besides, I’m more worried about you than myself. I have magic. You don’t.”
“Magic doesn’t affect me, remember. And, I know how to fight.”
I leaned down closer to Stephanie, ignoring him. My heart ached for her.
Straining to see any movement from her, my heart raced. “I don’t see her chest moving.” Careful not to press too hard, I placed my fingers on the other side of her neck from her wound. Nothing.
I jumped back, away from her body. Death was still a very new thing to me.
Jarak bent down and rechecked for her pulse. His jaw tightened and he closed his eyes. “She didn’t have a chance.”
Tears fell from my eyes. Ailaina hugged me, crying too. I felt sorry for the young woman. It would be horrible to have to die scared like that. I vowed with her death that I would kill every vampire I came across. If every vampire were dead, there would be none left to turn innocent humans, but that proposed a new problem—Meadow and Ree.
Twenty
Jarak
I slumped to the ground as exhaustion took over my body. The wet, cold leaves under my fingers numbed my skin down to the bones.
I hoped the girls were okay. We’d been searching all day, but decided to separate. Es could feel the dead energy and insisted we look for the vampire before he found us. I let out a sigh. I needed to relax. Luna and Ailaina were with her. I knew more than she did the power of the wolf. She was safe.
Adrenaline was the only thing keeping me going, but even that was almost gone, leaving me drained—emotionally and physically. I slammed my fist onto the forest floor. Maztic waited at the base of a tall pine tree.
“We’ll get him.” Maztic’s low growl rumbled through the earth and up into my head.
“I hope so.” I clenched my jaw together. I knew Nicholas would pay—and so would his followers. It was Es’s almost lifeless memory that haunted me from when he poisoned her, which fired my soul up, ready to kill. I pushed myself up off the ground. I couldn’t stop now, not when she needed me. Maztic materialized by my side, standing proud and ready to continue the hunt.
A long howl filled the air from the distance. My head snapped in the direction. “Luna.” I took off at a full run, using Maztic’s strength and speed as his energy filled me. He never left my side, running through the forest. His body and mine becoming as one as I ran.
Attempting to dodge pine branches and bushes proved fruitless as my jeans scraped against them. I scanned the foliage, searching for my prey. Another howl echoed through the air. With wolf speed, I ran to where Luna called out again.
Stopping to spin around, I searched. A branch teetered on the trunk of a tree, catching my attention. A dark shadow dashed through my line of sight.
I took off in that direction, Maztic still beside me, our footfalls silenced in the fallen leaves on the ground. I stopped to take a short break. A putrid stench mixed with the fresh air infuriated me. It was sick, smelling like a burnt, rancid puke. I coughed, trying to fight the stomach acid that rose in the back of my throat.
A twig snapped, and I twirled around to the sound that echoed behind me. My shoulders squared as I held my head high in confidence. The ugly vampire’s wicked face stared into mine. His skin was translucent, and I was able to see through to his black veins. He had all the classic signs of being a Crossbreed who was on the verge of death.
“You think it’s this easy?” he sneered. His once blue eyes were bloodshot, with only a hint of jade left in the iris.
“It is this easy.” My muscles were taut, and I was ready to spring. Maztic emerged from the bushes lithely beside me, baring his razor sharp teeth, ready to sink them into flesh. A deep growl rumbled in his throat.
“Good luck,” the man mocked, tipping his head in laughter. “I could send you spiraling into the night, but I think leaving you alive to know you could
n’t protect your little witch, sounds better. I wonder how it will feel to live with that. Oh wait, you already live with that. Don’t you? A memory of someone else you couldn’t save. Nicholas told me all about you.”
I lunged forward, just to move right through him as if I moved through his spirit. Tendrils of his form wisped away into the night air. His sinister laugh rumbled, and ricocheted into the dead of night. “I have a limited amount of magic now, but that will change once I get Esmeralda, she can finish the change and keep me alive, and then I will be more powerful than her with the best of both worlds.”
Maztic lunged forward after him, but fell through him as he disappeared into the air.
“No!” I cried out. The internal anguish was too much. I couldn’t fail again.
“Jarak.” Es’s voice drifted through the trees.
“Over here.” Maztic spoke out in our minds. His fur stood on end.
Es and Luna emerged through the trees. Luna’s grey coat shimmered under the moonlight.
“Did you see him?” Es stood tall, barely a hint of exhaustion in her breathing. Ailaina emerged close behind her, but was bent over, trying to catch her breath.
“Yeah.” I nodded, running my fingers through my hair. “He was like a ghost, here but not here. I don’t understand. It’s like when you said old energy.” I kicked a rock. “I’ll never catch him without magic.”
“It’s okay. He’ll be back.” She walked to me and wrapped her arms around my middle.
I rested my cheek on top of her head and held her. “I know.” Unfortunately, that was true. I worried about what he said, about me not protecting her, about not protecting my past, the memories… I prayed they wouldn’t repeat themselves.
Esmerelda
The hot water from the shower pelted down, massaging my aching muscles. We’d been out searching for almost two more days since the vampire appeared. What was taking him so long to attack? The anxiety of the wait was almost too much, causing tension in the house. It was even harder for Jarak to understand. He was moody, not quite himself since the encounter.
I didn’t want to fight the vampire as a ghost. I shuddered despite the warm water. It was just like when Moriah visited me while I was captive underground; she was there but not there.
“That’s it!” I yelled from the shower, quickly turning the water off and wrapping a towel around me.
I could hear Jarak’s boots thumping up the stairs. “What’s wrong?” He looked panicked as he flung open the bathroom door.
I laughed and hurled myself at him. “I know how he’s doing it! I understand.” Remembering I had on no more than a towel, I blushed and backed up, checking to make sure it stayed secured around me.
“Oh Lord, Es, you scared me.” Relief flashed in his eyes.
Scampering away to the closet, I grabbed my clothes. “Cover your eyes.” I didn’t need an audience as I dressed. Besides, he hasn’t seen me naked. I blushed at the thought and rushed to put my underclothes on. With his moods, I wasn’t sure if we were anything more than just good friends.
I dried off fast with the towel and shrugged my jeans on over my damp legs and hips. Flinging my shirt over my head, I yelled out to him, “Okay, done.”
He uncovered his eyes and as far as I know, he was a complete gentleman the whole time I dressed. I'm not sure what kind of lady I would’ve been if we reversed the roles.
“I could have helped you know.” He chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows.
Rolling my eyes, I waved him off and rubbed the towel through my hair. “I totally get it. He’s using a spell like the one Moriah did. A spirit spell. Like you guys did with Meadow and the funeral. A, um, what did you call it?”
His face lit up. “A spirit doppelganger. You are so smart.”
I slumped down on the bed. “I know.” I flashed him my best smile. “So how do we destroy the spell and find him in the flesh?”
“How exactly do you create a spirit spell? That might tell us how to kill one. I only know about them, not how to create one.”
“I’m not sure either. Moriah never said how she did it, and I never learned how with Meadow and Victor. It might take me a little bit to think about what incantations or energies to use.”
“What gift was from Moriah? I know it wasn’t the fire element.”
“The gift of spirit. Why?” I didn’t ask how he knew it wasn’t fire and not any of the others.
He smiled. “That’s it. It’s spirit energy. Your own spirit energy to be precise. It has to be.”
I let out an exasperated breath and fell back on the bed.
“Come on, Es, let’s get some fresh air.” Reaching down, he grabbed my hands, pulling me up. “Ailaina’s taking a nap on the couch. We’ll let her rest. She needs it more. She’s not bound to a spirit wolf she can resource energy from.” He winked at me, but he was right, she looked exhausted trying to keep up with us. I didn’t even think about where all my energy was coming from lately.
I followed him downstairs. “Where we going?”
He grinned. “For a walk.”
He handed me my black leather coat and led me outside by the hand. I would never get tired of holding his hand. It was always touch and go, so I took whatever he gave.
The air was brisk, numbing my nose almost instantly. Glancing up, I loved the sway of the treetops in the slight breeze. It made me feel as if Mother Nature watched over me. I could feel the energy surrounding us in the air. A sizzling sensation burned my skin, and then a roll of thunder growled across the sky. My smile widened. My favorite elements were fire and earth. Mother Nature at her greatest, and the impending storm filled me with excitement.
We walked in silence, enjoying each other’s company. It was nice. No tracking, no running, no bloodsuckers—yet. Although, I didn’t let my guard down, just as I knew Jarak didn’t either. I reached out around us with my energy, but nobody was around that I could feel.
“Wait here.” He stopped. “Close your eyes.”
What was he up to? Closing my eyes, I breathed in the deep scent of the forest.
“Keep your eyes closed, I’ll lead you. Do you trust me?”
“With my life.” That was the truth. At least I was sure of that.
I walked confidently as Jarak led me. I wasn’t afraid.
He stopped. “Open your eyes.”
I couldn’t believe the scene I opened my eyes to. I didn’t see it long because my eyes teemed with tears blurring everything out. “Oh my gosh.” I covered my mouth with my hands.
He had led me to our special spot by the creek. A blanket stretched out over the ground with a white long stem rose lying in the middle. Red petals from other roses scattered around the white one, a few of them floated away with the breeze. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I kissed him. He was so sweet to do this for me.
He reached around me, bringing me closer, running his hand up my back and entangling it in my hair. Leaning in, his lips touched mine. I arched up higher, needing more.
He must have sensed my urgency because he pressed harder against me. Everything around me became unknown. All guards down. No walls up. If this was all I would ever get from him, then I was going to take it all. My body fit perfectly next his. My arms tightened around his neck. He picked me up, holding me close. He brushed kisses down my neck.
I whimpered against his ear, and I heard him let out a deep sigh. It was too much to handle. My whole body burned as if it was on fire, and he was the water to quench it. My hands were up and down his back, then around his waist. I could hear the storm raging closer with each new sensation Jarak provoked inside me. A new tingle matched the thunder in the sky.
His lips found mine once again, and I sensed his need for more as he deepened the kiss. His tongue darted in and out, teasing mine. Each time, the flames of desire grew higher.
“Es, look out!” Luna’s voice bellowed in my mind.
A sharp pain, like a lightning bolt, exploded in my back. I cried out against his lips, crumpling in his arms.
The look of horror crinkled his face. It was the last clear thing I saw before my vision blurred.
“Es, what’s wrong?”
I could hear the panic in his voice. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t even breathe. The pain was so fierce it ripped me apart.
He carefully laid me on the ground, turning me on my side, and I could see his hands smeared in blood. I saw the vampire we’d been searching for standing behind him, and did my best to yell out and warn him, but it exhausted all my energy to gather enough oxygen.
“Behind you,” I was finally able to whisper.
He spun around and came face to face with the villain. I gasped, trying to fill my lungs with needed air. I struggled to use the elements around me to stay alive. I wasn’t sure what he did to me, but I knew it wasn’t good. The pain was almost more than I could stand.
“Nicholas sends his leeches to do his dirty work?” Jarak’s voice strained.
The world wanted to go dark, but I refused to give up.
The ugly Crossbreed glowered at Jarak. “I bet you wished you had magic right now so you could save her. It’s a pity, really.”
At that moment, I pushed everything I had to thrust a strong gust of wind their direction, picking the bloodsucker up and smashing him into a tree. Instantly, Jarak was there, holding him by the throat with his strength. At least it was truly the Crossbreed and not a spirit this time.
Maztic appeared with Luna, and I watched as they helped Jarak with the vampire. My vision faded in and out. Then, Luna was next to me, talking to me, but I couldn’t understand what she said. The only thing I caught was the part about a knife.
With blurry vision, I tried watching as Luna moved around me, and then there was a tug in my back. She returned to sit in front of me with her nose covered in blood, dropping a knife from her mouth.
Almost immediately, some of my strength returned with the weapon gone. Relief flooded me as the sharpness faded to an intense ache that stole my breath.
