She watched her daughter tap his shoulder and almost abruptly he stopped. They waited for Jerry to stagger up to them, his feet giving out as he crumpled to the ground, gasping and struggling to breathe.
“Sorry… Give… just… minute… be fine.” He hissed.
Emerald wriggled out of Bale’s arms and to the ground. She removed a water bottle from her pack and handed it to him. He took a long pull before handing it back with a grateful nod.
“I don’t mean to hold you back… I’m too slow,” he started, glancing at Elise apologetically.
“Shut up human. Without you we’d all be dead by now. We all have our weaknesses, being slow is apparently yours.”
Jerry gave a short laugh that turned into a choking cough as he struggled to slow his breathing. “I… aim to please…” he managed.
They rested for another ten minutes, but Elise was watching the night sky descend. After dark in the woods of Wyndoor, in the open, was the last place they wanted to be. But when they moved on they went slower and Emerald walked.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
As they neared the second set of woods Bale slowed down, his body fading until he had all but disappeared. A chuffing of air was all that was heard to let them know he was still there. Darkness was absolute, but Elise had the feeling they weren’t alone. When several dark figures stepped away from the trees and into the open, they all came to a halt.
They’d found the Demon wolves. Two figures stepped forward and Elise tensed, drawing Emerald near her side. But it was only Nick and Sadie.
“Took you long enough. You are late.” Sadie observed, eyes moving to Jerry as he removed his pack.
“Come on, we’re out in the open, safer if we are out of sight.” She added, leading them deeper into the wood to what passed for a small hut, constructed of dead fall and broken limbs and covered in a heavy mess of brambles, the thorny protrusions acting as a deterrent to anyone that thought to come in.
Sadie looked at them as she held the makeshift door for them to enter what passed for a scant protection. “The vampires have attacked the Demon wolves and scattered them. A small group of them have holed up here the best they could. But there aren’t enough of them left to be of any help to us. We’re on our own here.”
Sadie swung the door closed to block them in. Inside, she took a seat on the floor, nodding to the corner. They weren’t alone. Huddled together were several Demon wolves. “The same family we ran into in the cave when we were here earlier. They escaped, only to come home to the destruction of their homes and friends. The entire Demon nation is scattered in Wyndoor at this point.
Nick, on Sadie’s left, turned to Jerry. “So, did you get it? Were you able to make another antidote?”
Jerry swung his pack around and the rasp of the zipper was loud as he opened the bag. He nodded, “I did. A little different from before though.” He pulled a small bag out. It resembled a small liquid filled pillow. The contents reminded Sadie of the water balloons she’d played with as a kid. She frowned.
“They look like they are filled with blood.” She reached out to touch one. It was soft and squishy.
“They aren’t though. But the smell is similar and I designed it that way to attract their attention so they want it. What’s in it is a fluid concocted to look and taste like what they are used to. They puncture one of those bags with a claw or their teeth, and what comes out is something more. Not only will it enter their bloodstream if they drink it, but we also designed the molecules to enter the air and be airborne to anyone else that is within range. They are combative and rabid at this point. Their natural inclination to fight over their food in their current state should work in our favor. That’s the good news.
“What’s the bad?” Nick asked.
“Well, it’s faster than what we had before for sure. It should hit their blood stream almost immediately and work to heal the damaged cells, to repair the Hypothalamus which contains the hunger center. The Cerebral cortex may take longer. We’ve had no time to test it, of course. My best guess is that they should start to resemble their former selves within a matter of hours.
“Hours!” Sadie breathed in alarm. “So what you are telling me is that the five of us are on our own. We have to make it to the castle, find the afflicted vamps, administer the antidote and still escape before they eat us because the entire process will take hours to work? Have I left anything out?”
Jerry shook his head. “No, that about sums it up.”
They didn’t need to be able to see in the dark to realize his expression was grim as he delivered the news. They’d been counting on the Demon wolves to help take up the slack so that they had a chance. Now even that possibility was gone. A small voice spoke up.
“Six. We are six. Bale will help us.”
#
“Who?” I asked, totally confused by the turn in conversation. Beside me I felt the warm pressure of Nicholas as we sat with the others, knees touching, in a small circle. My eyes searched the darkness for Emerald’s slight form.
“Bale, my friend. He’s helped before. He is waiting for us out there.”
“Who is Bale?” I persisted.
Emerald looked confused by the question, as if she wasn’t sure how to answer it.
Jerry spoke up. “We all saw him. She may not know what to call him. The best way I can think of to describe him is that he reminds me of descriptions of the fabled Yeti or Big foot? You know, big and hairy, walks on two huge feet? Only add to that he can camouflage himself every bit as effectively as a Weis cat. He made pretty quick work of the vamp sentries that followed us through the portal. That’s part of why we’re so late. Fino’s men were waiting for us at the portal. It seems like they are one step ahead of us the whole way.”
I reached out and took one bag from the pack where it sat next to Emerald, eyes gleaming with interest in the dark. I held it up to the thin sliver of light that filtered between the thin breaks in the branches that was all that protected us from whatever was out there. The thick liquid inside was dark and heavy as it sloshed against the sides of the bag. “Well, let’s hope he’s willing to help us and doesn’t become part of the problem.” I handed the bag back.
“It’s too late for us to go tonight. We’ll wait for morning.” I murmured.
I scooted backwards and leaned back against the uneven walls of the hut and closed my eyes. I didn’t expect to sleep. I was too scared of what we were walking into and with no help or guidance. But somehow I managed, waking up several hours later, my head resting sideways against the broad muscles of Nick’s shoulder. I sat up, the faintest hint of dawn sifting through the leaves and thorns above my head. Sitting straight across from me was the Yeti; Bale, had she called him? His yellow-brown eyes stared at me. Lying beside him, her head resting on his knee, was Emerald. I continued to stare and blinked when he abruptly faded once more. Motion around me caught my attention. The rest of us were waking up.
Curled in a ball on the ground beside me slept Jerry. I reached out and shook him awake.
“It’s time to go.” I mumbled. He startled awake and sat up with a moan, scratching at his head and blinking blearily.
Beyond us the Demon wolf female and pup slept on. The male was gone and I wondered if he was out already, looking for food to feed them. We let them sleep and crawled from our hut.
Outside we gathered, looking to Elise for directions. She knew the way to Wyndoor Castle better than any of us. I looked at our rag-tag group of misfits and once again tried to remember why we were here, risking our lives like we were. I reminded myself that what we did here affected our chances of survival in Drae Hallow as well.
I stared at Elise. “Ready?”
She stared at her daughter, the faint outline of Bale standing beside her as he faded in and out of focus, reminding me of Kit, Fern’s young Weis friend.
“No, I’m not. Let’s go.” She took off at a lope and we fell in behind her.
I had been here once before. So had Nicholas. I c
aught his eye, his mouth in a thin flat line, and I knew he was remembering the last time and our run in with Will Bennett. A year had passed since then, and still I had no problem recognizing the massive weita tree when Elise stopped beside it. I marveled again at the spiny protrusions that dotted the surface. They looked sharp, but I knew they were fake. Like before, we’d decided the safest way in was through the tunnels, rather than across the open plain.
When Elise tripped the mechanism to open the doorway Jerry gasped in wonder. “That’s wild.” He breathed.
It made me smile. But as Nick took my hand and we all descended into darkness; my humor vanished.
“So how are you thinking we go about doing this Jerry? What, are we going to play a game of fetch or what?” I tried not to let my sarcasm bleed through but was sure I failed.
I felt more than saw Jerry’s look in my direction. “I don’t know. I just make it; I don’t really have a good idea for forcing them to ingest it or breath it in. That’s your job.”
I groaned. “No, our job is to stay alive and get out before they eat us for the second course.”
“I like her idea.” Nick mumbled beneath his breath.
Elise hissed. “That’s not helping.”
A guttural voice sounded in the darkness and I shivered. “Smell it, taste. See it.”
I frowned, trying hard just to understand the words was a trick. Jerry had said it smelled and tasted like what they were used to. If we could get them to see it and gather close enough—to fight for it…
Jerry spoke up. “You still pretty accurate with that bow, Sadie?”
I scoffed. “Of course. I don’t miss.”
“What about skeet? Ever played that with a bow?”
“Yeah. What are you getting at, Jerry?”
“What if we were to play baseball? Toss them like balls over their heads and you bust a few open with that bow. Wouldn’t the smell and sight of it lead to a frenzy? They’d all want in on it, and maybe if they were all busy with those packets, we could sneak back out. The sight of all that ‘blood’ would draw their attention, right?”
I wanted to remind him that there were way too many ways that could go wrong. But it was also the best idea I’d heard. I didn’t want to think about the fact it was the only one.
“Okay. That could work. You need to stay behind us then until we find out where they are holing up. Wait until we do and I get in position. I don’t suppose you ever pitched an inning in college, did you Jerry?”
I heard him chuckle. “For two straight years,” he admitted.
I gave a short, surprised nod. It could work.
It was broad daylight when we emerged into the open courtyard. A tangle of grass and weeds had taken over the interior of the castle grounds. But it lay deserted, with no apparent signs of life. It had been vacant the last time too, the rogue vampires preferring the cool damp dark below ground during the heat of day.
“Do you think they’re below again?” Emerald asked, looking nervous. Beside her, fading to translucent and then darkening back again, was Bale, looking nervous. But I was glad we had him. His size alone added weight to our small party.
She considered, “Maybe. I guess we’re about to find out.” Elise murmured; eyes sharp.
I had already drawn my bow and notched a bolt. Vampires were crazy fast, and I’d need to be ready. Jerry pulled in behind us, the pouch unzipped and his hand buried inside, as ready as I was.
As we had before, we wound deeper beneath the castle. Several of the doors that had stood closed before had been wrenched open as if by some substantial force and hung awkwardly from their hinges.
Elise shot a troubled look towards the Blood vault. It lay bare.
My eyes moved towards the painting. Behind it, if they still lived, were several humans that had survived and taken refuge in the secret vault. As we drew near I realized in alarm that the hidden door wasn’t closed. The picture hung ajar. My mouth twisted as I caught Elise’s eye. Together we caught the edge and swung it open, afraid of what we would find inside if the vampires had gotten in and had their way with the defenseless humans within.
We stared at the empty room in some confusion. Where had they gone? We would have expected to see more blood and the lingering remains if they had been massacred. But there was nothing there.
“Where do you think they went?” Nicholas asked Elise, not expecting an answer.
“No way of knowing. Let’s hope they found a refuge, somewhere safe to hole up. That makes the last room down here that I know of. Where are they then?”
Nicholas caught my eye, a nervous twitch at the corner, and I knew what he felt. Something was off about the entire situation; it felt wrong and I wasn’t alone in my suspicions.
“I don’t like this. I think we need to get out of here, Mama.” Emerald whispered, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. Beside her paced Bale, teeth bared and yellowed eyes gleaming in the gloomy darkness.
“Agreed.” Elise hissed.
My nerves were jangling as we climbed back to the surface and my fingers rested on the trigger of my bow. Something about the whole thing didn’t sit well with me.
#
When we emerged into the central courtyard, it was no longer empty. We had walked straight into a trap and Fino Vas stood waiting for us at the top. He wore the same robes from before, but he had dispensed with the thin gauzy veil, the hood pulled back to reveal his gaunt face and pasty complexion. He smiled and I felt ill.
“So nice you could join us Sadie Cross. You and all your friends.” I didn’t bother to correct him. Several of them were missing. I would have given anything to have Sirris, Fern, and the Tuttles by my side. Fino hadn’t come alone, he’d brought several of his shadow Guild with him. Unlike Fino though, they remained shrouded, their identity remaining secret.
“Convenient, I suppose I should thank you for making things so easy for me. If you don’t mind,” he nodded to a couple of his sentries and they moved in on us, wrenching the bag free of Jerry’s grasping fingers, shoving him backwards into Nick and stepping smartly away.
Fino snatched the bag and opened it, pulling two packets free and holding them up to the sunlight where they glistened a dark ruby red in the bright light. He nodded, his smile broad.
“I’ll take these if you don’t mind. I’m not ready for the vampires to recover. They still have a little mayhem to create.”
“You’re a monster. You would kill your own people and make it look like they had gone rogue so you can step in and look the hero. What you are doing is unconscionable.” Jerry rasped, his eyes dark and horrified.
“Foolish human, do you really think the battle is here in Wyndoor? What happened here was a tool, an experiment to test the effectiveness of the toxin on the vampires, and the result of unleashing said madness on the population. The human and Magical world will welcome me as a savior. They will see me as the hero that sets their world to rights. They will award me a position of power to keep order and by the time they figure out the truth it will be too late. And the Guild, my vampire guild, will command the respect and authority they owe us. The true Vampire Nation will rise and take its rightful place as the leaders of the free world.
He chuckled. “Too bad that none of you will be around to attend the party. I’m afraid the general population isn’t ready to know where the poison really came from. I can’t allow you to leave Wyndoor and spoil all the fun.”
His eyes roved over our small group, and the glee in his light eyes glittered with insanity. He started backing towards the main gates leading out of the courtyard. The sentries and Fino swung the gates wide, using the massive wooden structures for cover. They needn’t have worried. It was only necessary for the small army of Vampires on the other side to see them, helpless and vulnerable… prey… huddled and defenseless for them to surge forward. Over the top of the rushing vamps Judge Fino gave an elegant bow, and then he and the others backed out, swinging the doors closed once more and locking us inside wit
h at least twenty-five hunger crazed vampires. Leading them all, was Jorta and Ab’et.
#
We had no time to think or plan. They were on us before we could open our mouths to scream in a frenzy of hunger. I had known both Ab’et and Jorta from before, when they weren’t the monsters with no conscience that rushed us now. But all that was off the table now. I didn’t have to see the horror in Elise and her daughter’s eyes to know it was there. It was their worst nightmare come to life.
And the antidote was gone.
Around me I heard the slide of weapons and the scramble of feet as we readied ourselves for what I was sure was our certain death. They vastly outnumbered us even with a seven foot Yeti at our disposal. I spared a glance in his direction. He was fully visible, which I found odd. Maybe his ability to fight was hindered when he used his camouflage to hide.
And that was as much time as I had for introspection. I’d taken careful aim and got off two shots before I had to store the bow in favor of my knives, best in hand to hand combat. They were vampires, and there was little chance of being able to kill them. But if we could incapacitate them long enough, maybe we could escape.
Then I remembered they outnumbered us by close to five to one and my heart beat in triple time as I screamed and lunged forward to meet the first vamp, his eyes blood red and his claws reaching for my face. I ducked low, swinging both arms in a cutting arc as I dived out of the way. He screamed with rage and whirled. So did I, slashing high at the second vampire that was coming in from behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of two more charging in my direction.
I wanted to scream, “No Fair!” But instead I grit my teeth and continued to swing, aiming for a partial decapitation or heart strike. Either would buy me more time, maybe even just enough.
Around me, the rest of our party was having as much luck as I was. Nick’s staff was flashing blue fire in a wide swath, painting the oncoming vamps with the dancing flames and making them howl as they batted at their smoking clothes. Elise and Emerald fought like me, wicked blades swinging from clawed fingers, teeth flashing and savage as they fought for their lives. Jerry too was no longer the simple scientist with the coke-bottle glasses. Instead, he’d produced a broadsword and the human had some skills as I watched him sever a head from a body and a puff of ash that was once a vampire disintegrate into thin air. Still, he was outnumbered and slower than was necessary. They were swamping him and pushing him back.
Rule 9 Academy Series Boxset: Books 3-5 Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy (Rule 9 Academy Box Sets (3 Book Series) 2) Page 45
