He must be seething inside, but he’s playing it cool, thought Serena. Vladimir must realize he was in a precarious position. Were he to fly into a rage now over Nickoli’s unknown whereabouts in front of the council, the members would be quick to side against him. His leadership was in peril.
“They have sustained heavy ground losses, but the naval and air forces are still strong and our generals are still in control,” replied Wu. Infiltrating the world’s military powers had been a big part of Vladimir’s plan. China had been one of their biggest successes.
“Have China attack America. Focus the first wave of attacks on the Gulf Coast. Hit the refineries and military installations,” said Vladimir. “Serena, have our remaining hunter squads stop hunting the vampires and shifters. Focus on hydro installations and power plants. Once we have finished destroying them, we can worry about human-loving vampires.”
“You will continue the attacks on vampires?” asked Petre.
Vladimir snarled at Petre. “Vampires who love humans are of no use to us, why do you care?” The grip with which he held his temper in check was slipping.
“Because as much as creating an apocalypse will make humans weak and defenseless, you have put us in a dangerous position. Vampires and shifters who didn’t care either way what we did to humans will now hate us. You have killed countless shifters, vampires, and humans who had many allies. Those allies will most likely now be our enemies,” said Petre.
“They will all tremble in fear, nothing they can do will stop us!” said Vladimir, slamming his hand down on the tabletop. The force of the blow caused the papers in front of him to scatter across the table. A few of them floated lazily to the floor.
“Tell that to Nickoli,” said Petre as he gathered his things and left the boardroom.
Serena watched him go and the first seeds of hope that she may find her way out of Vladimir’s grip began to sprout.
…
Serena shuddered at the thought of Nickoli. She hoped the fact he hadn’t reported to the council yet was a sign that Jaden was still alive. She knew continuing to communicate with Jaden would be dangerous, if not impossible. Part of the war effort had been disabling the human’s communications networks. Convincing warring countries to destroy each other’s satellites had not been difficult. Now she wished they hadn’t been so efficient at that task. It would be nice to hear from Jaden. Hopefully, he would find out that online communications were still an option. While cellular networks relying on satellites were gone, some computer networks using fiber optic cables still functioned.
Jaden was so different from the other vampires she had met over the years. She found that so many male vampires had an arrogance about them; they deemed themselves superior to any human, shifter, or female vampire they thought unworthy. Jaden treated her with respect. He may not have been exactly friendly and outgoing, but he was still kind and non-judgmental. But it wasn’t just those admirable qualities that drew Serena to him.
More than any vampire she had ever met, Jaden was driven by emotion, though he never would have admitted that to anyone. Serena suspected he might not even realize that about himself. On the surface he was cool, calm, and polite, but it was a façade. He was the most human vampire Serena had ever met in many ways. Initially, Serena had been attracted to his good looks and the fact that he was dangerous.
Serena had been in Washington. It was her first year in the United States, and she’d been working at organizing the infiltration of the American congress. They had been at a social fundraiser and Serena was working with an American vampire who held a staff position with a prominent senator. She’d been dancing with a human when Jaden asked for the next dance. She’d found him attractive and agreed. On the next song, an attractive woman came and grabbed him, claiming he owed her a dance.
The vampire Serena was working with recognized Jaden and warned Serena to stay away from him. Naturally, Serena had wanted to know why this American vampire was so dangerous. Her friend had told her that she had been involved with a CIA unit that used vampires as soldiers and Jaden had been part of that unit until he was asked to hunt humans. Other members of the unit did not feel the same way and had decided to kill Jaden. Jaden brought the unit commander the heads of those members who attacked him and told the commander that if another vampire attacked him, he would kill every member of the unit, the commander included. Serena had thought her friend was exaggerating Jaden’s exploits. She worked for the council and they had plenty of hunter vampires who were dangerous. But weeks later when Serena met the unit commander, she’d mentioned that Jaden was in Washington, and the vampire had been afraid.
The second time Serena had met Jaden was at another fundraiser months later. She was watching the crowds from a corner table when Jaden sat down next to her and handed her a glass of wine. She could still remember his exact words, “I’ve been waiting for another chance to dance with you.” All the warnings had gone out the window, and she spent the rest of the evening dancing with Jaden. When the party was over, she invited him back to her room, where they spent the rest of the night. Sex with Jaden was passionate and intense. The next morning, she’d given him her number but had played it cool. Jaden was the good-looking bad boy, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to get involved with him. But somehow she ended up in his bed the next night. After that, they had become a thing. A casual relationship built on amazing sex.
Serena had never intended to fall for Jaden, but over the years, the casual hookups became something else, a mutual respect and understanding had developed. Jaden understood her, and didn’t judge her for working for the council even though he disagreed with them. Of course, at that time even she had not known how much the council truly despised and hated vampires like Jaden. She just knew they frowned upon her seeing him, so they kept their relationship quiet. By the time Serena had fully understood what the council intended to do, she was in too deep to confide in Jaden. She wished she’d told Jaden the truth right away. Now she just hoped to see him again.
55
JESS
“Cain, I have a cabin at Lake Winnow. We could spend the night there. It’s only twenty minutes off the main highway,” said Oscar.
Jess liked the idea of sleep and hopefully a shower. It had been a long day and they’d been driving for hours. “Can we stop, Cain? It sounds like a good idea.”
“Yes, it’s a very good idea,” said Cain. “How far from here is your cabin?”
“About an hour and forty minutes further up the highway and then turn right when you see Cottonwood Road. It goes all the way to the lake,” said Oscar. “It’s a small cabin, but it has enough room for all of us. And if we get there soon enough, we can probably catch our own dinner.”
“You heard the man, Cain, step on the gas. I could go for a nice relaxing lake vacation right about now,” said Jaden. “You have extra fishing rods, Oscar?”
“Rods, tackle, and the sweetest little fishing hole. It’s a small lake, but deep, so we pull out some healthy sized trout. Two to three pounders, perfect for dinner.”
“I haven’t been fishing in years,” said Mandy. “If you’d take me fishing and promise me that I could have a hot shower after, I’d marry you right now, Oscar!”
Oscar laughed. “I’m too old to have a beautiful young wife. You’d probably give me a heart attack, but this old coot does love to have a good fishing companion. You and I will show these vamps how it’s done.”
“You got a deal,” she said.
Jess was glad Mandy was coping so well with everything. She still found the whole vampire thing hard to fathom. She knew now that it was real, same with the war, but it still was a hard adjustment. She still had so many questions about vampires and shifters.
…
When they arrived at the cabin, Jess and Mandy looked around in awe. The old log cabin sat on a small bench overlooking a bay of the lake. Nestled by tall cedars, the cabin was cozy and beautiful. The inside of the cabin was simple in design. A modest living roo
m and kitchen filled the front, two bedrooms and a bathroom in the back. The cabin had a loft with a master bedroom that overlooked the lake. Jess loved the big glass windows that gave the kitchen and living room a magnificent view of the lake.
“I built this with my son, Jeffrey, years ago,” said Oscar. “I hardly ever get up here anymore, but Jeffery still spends a lot of time here. Although, it looks like it’s been a few months since he’s been here,” Oscar said as he wiped away a cobweb, highlighting the point that no one had been there in a while.
“It’s beautiful,” said Jess as she peered out the kitchen window at the lake. “You and Jeffery did a wonderful job.”
“Where is Jeffery now?” asked Mandy.
“He’s at Sanctuary,” said Oscar. “Jeffery, like Jaden, spent his share of time in the military. When his tour was over, he joined a private corporation that did security for rich folk. He was sent to school to learn to cook and other domestic skills that would allow him to blend into a household staff. When Tomas Duvane was murdered, Jeffery volunteered to protect his widow.”
“Who is Tomas Duvane?” asked Mandy.
“He is, or rather was, a very kind man, one who helped many shifters. You see, shifters often have troubles living among humans. Their animal instincts don’t always gel with society. Tomas had a skill for finding communities where shifters would thrive.”
“I don’t understand. How does that matter? Why would someone murder him?” asked Mandy.
“Very few people know that shifters and vampires exist. Some governments have known for years, but have hidden it. Other than the odd vampire going bloodthirsty, very few incidents require interventions. Shifters and vampires can live in harmony with humans. However, many vampires, and even some shifters, believe that humans should be treated as cattle. And they believe that the human race has grown dangerous and has become a threat to the world,” said Oscar.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true. We haven’t been all that good for the environment and we certainly can be dangerous. I mean, we’re in the middle of a huge worldwide war right now,” said Mandy.
“They are not doing this for the good of the planet,” said Cain. “The vampires that are behind this are doing it for selfish reasons, because they see humans as a threat to the way they want to live. They want to be the rulers, the top predators. Technology has made humans dangerous to vampires. The vampire council has orchestrated this war and all the attacks against humans and shifters because they want to rule the world. They would rather rule a wasteland than see humans fix the current mess.”
“Okay, so back to Jeffery. Why did this Tomas guy’s widow need protection?” asked Mandy.
“Because some vampires don’t just kill you, they kill you and then your whole family. The council wants shifters to be afraid, to hide and not help the humans. So they have been making examples of those shifters and vampires who are too friendly towards humans. That’s why Cain and Jaden are targets,” said Oscar.
Mandy looked at Cain and Jaden as if she was seeing them for the first time. “So you’re being hunted because you like humans?”
“Basically, yes. There have always been disagreements in the vampire and shifter world about how to interact with humans, but the council is extreme. Creating an apocalypse to rule is wrong. Jaden and I would never agree with such madness,” said Cain.
Mandy frowned. “I thought it is just a war? Why are you calling it an apocalypse? Do you think the world is coming to an end?”
Cain nodded. “I think the world as you know it is gone. This isn’t just a war. Right now it is a world war, with vampires pulling all the strings. They will have countries destroy each other to the point where society falls. Even if no nuclear bombs are used, the devastation is going to be beyond compare. You saw the news; that is just the beginning.”
“You mean it is going to get worse?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” said Cain.
“Enough talk about this,” said Oscar. “Mandy, my dear, come help an old bear catch a fish or three. Jaden there’s a rod here for you as well.”
“Cain and I are going for a walk. I want to explore,” said Jess.
“Find some dry wood for kindling while you are exploring, we can have a fire later,” said Oscar. “Off to the right of the cabin you will find a path, it’s a nice little hike.”
“Thank you, Oscar,” said Jess.
Jess and Cain left the others to their fishing. They followed Oscar’s advice and went up the path. As they walked, Jess enjoyed the silence. It felt peaceful there in the quiet of the woods. The gentle breeze flowing through the trees along with the random chirps of birds provided a harmony of soft background noise. It was a pleasant change from being in the city.
“You didn’t want to try your hand at fishing?” asked Cain as they walked.
Jess shook her head. “No, I’ve never been fishing, but I wanted to spend some time with you. We haven’t really had much time together. We are always being interrupted by vampires or war.”
“True. It’s very inconvenient, if you ask me. I wonder to whom we could write to lodge a formal complaint. ‘To whom it may concern, please cease and desist all activities that prevent romantic interludes. Please include war and assassination on the list. Yours truly, Cain Butler.’”
He flashed her a mischievous grin and Jess felt her stomach flip when his dimples appeared. She laughed and punched his arm. “Ass, I don’t think that would work.”
“Probably not, but I can’t think of anything else we could do.”
“How about we just find moments when we can,” said Jess.
Cain stopped and turned to face Jess. He pulled her in close and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You mean moments like these?” he asked before kissing her.
His lips were soft against hers, the kiss tender and sweet, and as Jess returned the kiss, her hands reached up to brush against the short hairs at the nape of his neck. “Yes, exactly like this,” she said when Cain broke off the kiss. “Come on, let’s keep walking. This place is beautiful.”
Cain reached down and took her hand in his. He turned and continued up the path. “Yes, it’s a very beautiful spot and I can’t think of a place I’d rather be right now.”
…
“Holy crap! I got one,” said Mandy when she felt a strong tug on her fishing line. She was standing next to Oscar at the edge of the lake, an old, well-worn tackle box between them.
Oscar smiled. “I told you we would catch some fish. Now remember to reel it in carefully. Pull your rod back and then relax it while you turn the reel, remember to keep tension on the line.”
“I remember how to do it,” said Mandy with a chuckle. “I’m just amazed I got one. I thought you were giving me the old fisherman’s tales about there being fish. There is no bigger liar than a fisherman.” Oscar laughed and nodded, offering no argument.
Mandy deftly brought the fish to the shore where Oscar scooped it up in his net. The trout was a good three pounds, and would make a tasty meal. Once Oscar had the fish off the hook and safely to shore, Mandy cast her line out once more.
“Can you tell me more about this place we’re going?” she asked, glancing down the beach at Jaden. He’d wandered off a short distance and was fishing alone, out of earshot of Oscar and Mandy. She’d always had an open mind in regards to the existence of beings other than human and was intrigued by the world she’d found herself suddenly pulled into.
Oscar cast his own line out and slowly started reeling it back in. “I don’t know all the details. I’ve only had a few conversations with Jeffery since he started working there, but Erica, the woman Jeffery is helping to protect, decided to open the place up to all shifters and humans that are being hunted by the council. Jeffery says she’s a smart lady and has big plans. He sounds happy to be there.”
“What makes this Sanctuary place so safe? Why wouldn’t we just stay here? It’s secluded, has fresh water and food.”
“Actually, of all the p
laces in the world to be right now, this is probably a good one,” said Oscar. “You are right, we have food and water, as long as we can catch more fish we wouldn’t starve, and Cain and Jaden are good protection. We’re far enough away from any major cities, so chances of being bombed are pretty low. However, Sanctuary has things we don’t.”
“Like what?” asked Mandy. “This is heaven. I can’t imagine what else we would need.” She swept her arm out, gesturing to their surroundings. She wasn’t ready to give up the idea of staying in this little slice of paradise just yet.
Oscar smiled. “Well, I can’t say I disagree with you, but they have a gargoyle.”
“A gargoyle?”
“Yes. Gargoyles are another of the legends that is actually true. They are very rare these days, but there’s nothing so fearsome as a gargoyle. The combining of a human and a demon’s soul in a stone body, legend has it that gargoyles are the ultimate protector against vampires.”
“Demon souls? That sounds ominous,” said Mandy.
“I think it makes sense. When vampires were at their most powerful, they were terrorizing villages and cities all over Europe. In desperation, the mages harnessed the most terrorizing and dangerous souls they could find to defeat the vampires. Vampires fed off human fear. The mages returned the favor, creating something vampires would have to fear. As vampires died off and were forced to hide in the shadows, the need for gargoyles disappeared. Now we have need again and a gargoyle has been awakened.”
“Do gargoyles hunt shifters as well as vampires?” asked Mandy.
“Gargoyles are defenders, not hunters. They protect the house and its occupants. I have no intentions of harming anyone at Sanctuary, so I will be completely safe. Same with Cain and Jaden, just because they are vampires doesn’t mean they are the gargoyle’s enemy.”
“So basically a gargoyle is a bad ass guard dog?”
The Shadows Awaken (Guardians of the Night Book 1) Page 27
