Samuel’s hands hovered at my waist. “Can you stand, Sunshine, or should I carry you over there?” he whispered in my ear.
“Stop calling me Sunshine, Sammy. And yes, I can stand on my own.” Slowly I got to my knees, then stood quickly. A wave of dizziness was my greeting. “Though I could use some help walking,” I amended.
Samuel stood and put his arm around my waist. “Do not call me that. Valerie may; you may not,” he said quietly.
Mary Anne and Adam looked at each other as I sank to my knees beside one of the men. “Some of the drug is still in her system, isn’t it?” Mary Anne asked quietly.
Samuel nodded. “Aye, but after she feeds she should be stronger.”
I bit into the man’s neck and began to drink. A few moments later I looked up, power once more singing in my veins. The man I had drunk from was almost dead. I frowned, chiding myself silently.
“Do not worry, Julia. He’s probably killed many an innocent during his robberies.” Adam said, noticing my expression. I leaned back and he crouched beside me.
Guilt twisted my gut as I stared up at Adam. I had lain with Samuel three days before, yet I had not even been able to let Adam get close. Good Lord, I wonder what is wrong with me. I sighed. Samuel had sworn not to say a word about our night, and I trusted him to keep his promise. Adam did not have to know; I thought that now I knew lovemaking could be gentle, I would be all right. I believed —hoped? — I would feel safe with Adam. Neither he nor Samuel wanted to hurt me. Of that I was sure.
Samuel was leaning beside Jeffrey and Valerie. He was helping her feed from the other man, but I noticed it looked as though he was having difficulty. I rose. Adam also stood and put his arm around my waist. “Feeling better?”
I nodded, but my only concern now was for Valerie. I walked towards the huddled group. I could see Samuel’s worried frown from a few feet away. Inwardly, I groaned.
“What is wrong?” I asked.
“She has not awoken since you last saw her, Julia. Her reflexes are much slower now than they were then,” Samuel said. I had never heard him sound so dejected. Robert climbed out of the carriage and scowled at us.
“Maybe you should leave her behind, Samuel.”
“He has a point, Samuel,” Adam added. “She gave a good fight,” he said gently.
Samuel and I looked up, appalled. Anger flashed in his blue eyes. Jeffrey and Mary Anne were already scowling at Robert and Adam.
“Be quiet, Robert. Sharon didn’t even make it out. She was weak, and so are you,” Samuel answered. It was a barely veiled threat. He then glared at Adam. “Now be quiet before I tear you both up and feed you to her piece by piece.”
I touched his shoulder gently. “Calm down, Samuel,” I said soothingly. I looked up. “When will you learn to keep your mouths shut?”
“It was just a suggestion,” Robert answered.
“And I was just agreeing,” Adam said. I shook my head and lowered my gaze just in time to see the first flicker of a response from Valerie.
I smiled. Then for some reason my thoughts turned to who could have drugged me into senseless oblivion for three days. “I wish I had seen who it was!” I said, expressing my exasperation out loud.
Jeffrey looked at me. “Still can’t think of a name, Julia?”
I shook my head. “Nay, I cannot place the voice. I am sure I should know it, yet . . .” I shrugged helplessly. “But if I hear that laugh again I will recognize it.”
“Maybe it was Samuel, Julia,” Robert offered lazily. “Maybe he did it to feed you to his precious Valerie.”
I had barely registered the insulting suggestion when I saw Samuel rise up and slam Robert into a nearby tree. Outrage filled his voice. “How dare you say that! You know I would not do anything to hurt Julia or Valerie. Keep your horrid thoughts to yourself, Robert. Either that, or leave before I kill you.”
I heard Robert laugh bitterly. I looked at Adam, who just shook his head, wisely staying out of the brewing fight. “Samuel.” I walked towards them.
Robert’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Of course, Samuel, it would be much easier to kill her now, to finish what the other imps started. It would be the kindest thing you could do for her. She probably would not even feel it.”
I saw Samuel tense, every muscle tightening in barely controlled rage. “Robert, do not—” I began to warn him when, stunned, I saw him hold out a perfectly shaped stake. “— No!” Samuel went white with fury and punched him.
“You flap-mouthed halfwit!” he snarled and went for his throat.
I looked towards Mary Anne, expecting her to try to break up the fight, but she was only staring, her eyes narrowed in unmistakable anger. Before I could say anything she moved swiftly to Samuel’s side and began helping him. It was then I remembered Samuel saying that she and Matthew also knew Valerie from before.
“Samuel, Mary Anne,” I whispered. “Please do not kill him.” I paused before questioning, “Is it even permitted to kill him? He’s ka-tet.”
I was at a loss to explain what was happening. A ka-tet was supposed to be a group of souls united by destiny, but Robert’s actions were anything but that. The telepathic power of the ka-tet itself felt strange, weakened even.
“Stay out of this, Julia,” Mary Anne warned. The fury in her voice was uncharacteristic. Matthew jumped down after he handed Christy the reins.
“I do not care if you are bloody ka-tet. I am going to kill you,” Samuel said.
“No, he isn’t ka-tet. Not anymore,” Matthew said as he joined the fight.
“Julia?” Jeffrey called softly. In the confusion I had forgotten he was there. I turned towards him and Valerie and saw that with his help, Valerie was now drinking hungrily from the other would-be robber. Her grip on him was exceedingly tight. She quickly, drained him dry.
She stirred, opened her eyes, and blinked several times. “Samuel!” I yelled over my shoulder. I knelt down beside her. Adam stood beside me, a hand on my shoulder. I heard a sickening crack from behind me and then silence. I shuddered and Adam tightened his grip on my shoulder protectively. I waited a moment and called again, timidly this time, “Samuel?”
“What?” Samuel growled. There was another thud. “What is it, Julia?” he asked, his voice softer.
“Come here,” I said in an equally soft voice. I smiled at Valerie. Samuel walked to us, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
“The bastard punched me,” he muttered, shaking his head. He glanced down at us, then took a second glance.
“I don’t think he’s going to do it again,” Matthew said from a few feet away.
“Nay.” Samuel agreed quietly, kneeling down beside me. He turned his attention to Valerie. His eyes lit up. “Val, how do you feel?” he asked.
Valerie immediately focused on him. She was the most alert I had seen her since she had first awakened after the attack.
“Somewhat better, actually,” she answered in a hoarse voice. “Samuel, what is going on?” She seemed bewildered and disoriented, but that was understandable, and did not lessen my profound relief at the obvious improvement in her condition.
“You have been unconscious for about the past four nights. We had to leave the place where we were hiding. Someone tried to kidnap Julia there,” he answered quietly. “We are going to find a safe place.”
Samuel looked up at me and then shifted his gaze to Adam beside me. “Thank you,” he said simply. Adam nodded cordially in return. Samuel then looked back at Valerie. “I don’t think it best to try walking yet, Val. You are still weak.”
Valerie smiled faintly. “I could not even if I wished to, Samuel. I think we had better go before I burden you further.”
Samuel picked her up gently as the rest of us stood. “You were not a burden,” I said. I looked at Robert’s body. It was mangled, the neck broken. Matthew stared at me silently, then dragged and dumped it into the nearby trees.
Valerie only looked at me. Her comment about being a bur
den made me wonder if she had heard what Robert had said. I decided I didn’t want to know. She laid her head against Samuel’s shoulder. “I guess we can all sit in the carriage now,” Samuel said, carrying Valerie in his arms. The rest of us followed and climbed into the carriage. It was rather crowded, but we all fit. Soon we were on our way out of the London area, and I earnestly hoped, away from deathly danger.
Epilogue
I am thoroughly exhausted from remembering. There is much more to tell, but for now this is enough. It is the foundation that has made me who I am.
As painful as it has been to relive my past, I feel more at peace than I have in weeks. Though I have not yet finished this task I have set for myself, I feel certain that having told it thus far will make my sleep restful now, and banish the nightmares arising from the buried memories that I have finally allowed myself to remember and record here.
I hear the door slam downstairs and know the others of my group have returned. Dawn is not far away. I must hide this book before any of them come up and wonder what it is. As soon as I have the privacy and time, I will take this book out again and allow myself to remember more. Until then, this book will stay hidden away from curious eyes.
Good morning. Or should I say good night?
About the Author:
Theresa Van Spankeren lives in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She got her bachelor's degree from Elmhurst College, in Elmhurst, Illinois. She still hasn't figured out if the degree was worth it. She graduated right before the Great Recession and has spent the last several years grading standardized tests.
She has been writing since an early age, and came up with the idea for the War of Destiny series in high school. When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading, hiking and swimming, and also loves checking out local haunted places.
Other Works:
War of Destiny 2: Pursuit into Darkness
War of Destiny 3: Between Darkness & Light
Lost Soul (War of Destiny Book 1) Page 25
