Kelly nodded, feeling a pang of jealousy in the pit of her stomach. But, at the same time she knew that Emma was no ordinary girl. She tried pushing the thought of Todd and Emma together out of her mind so that they could continue with the tour, keeping things as normal as they could possibly be.
Chapter 7
“Todd…wake up, Todd…” a woman softly said. She sounded too kind to be one of his captors.
Todd’s weary eyes slightly opened, his vision blurred. He blinked several times to focus on the woman standing at the side of his bed. He was sure he was hallucinating at this point, but why not entertain his imagination? “Elizabeth…” he whispered so softly that even he could barely hear it.
“Todd, I have been asked to help search for you. I normally would not have helped Emma, but I am quite fond of you.”
“Emma is searching for me,” he breathed. It wasn’t a question, but confirming to himself that she was still alive and that things were beginning to look up.
“Do you know where you are?”
Breathing heavily from exhaustion, he replied, “I have no idea. We didn’t drive for terribly long, but I don’t know where I am.”
Elizabeth looked around the dingy, outdated basement where he was being held captive. She looked back at him, who had used every bit of his remaining energy to speak. His captors were clearly not caring for him very well. His lips were cracked from dehydration, his skin was pale with dark circles under his eyes, his hair was unwashed, so it was oily and matted. They gave him enough food and water to keep him alive, but not enough to fully sustain him. He was still wearing the dress pants and shirt that he wore to the premiere, which were now creased and dirty with blood stains. His wrists and ankles had red marks on them from being tied up, but no open wounds due to being fed vampire blood to heal quickly when they drained his own blood.
“Who has done this to you? Who took you?” She urged.
He breathed heavily, desperately searching for the energy to speak just once more. Taking a deep breath between each word, he said, “It…was…”
Elizabeth heard footsteps coming down the stairs, sensing that it was a vampire. “I must go!” She vanished into thin air before Todd could finish his sentence, frustrating him from deep within his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut and a tiny tear dripped down the side of his temple. He hoped she would return again so that he could tell her to inform Emma of whom to look for.
The 90’s girl clopped down the stairs in her black, chunky shoes. “Who are you talking to?” She demanded while searching the room for an uninvited guest. She inhaled deeply through her nose, attempting to recognize an unfamiliar scent in the room. But, she found nothing. “Looks like someone’s going mad,” she sang, taunting him as she walked back up the stairs.
Todd tried wishing Elizabeth to come back to him, but he remained completely alone. His thoughts eventually lulled him back into a weary sleep.
“I’ll be right back, I’m just going to run to the bathroom,” Kelly said while they were wrapping up her tour. She went back upstairs to her bedroom to go to the bathroom. When she came out, she was startled to see Elizabeth standing in the middle of the room. She jumped with shock, put her hand on her heart and breathed quickly.
“My gosh, don’t startle me like that! You said you would knock!” Kelly panted.
“My apologies,” Elizabeth said. “You’ll be glad to know I found Todd. He is alive, but not well. His captors have him tied up on a bed in a disgusting room, it looks to be underground, like a cellar. He was pleased to know that Emma is looking for him.”
“Did he say who took him?” Kelly asked, excited to hear that Elizabeth was able to make contact with him.
“He was about to, but his captor heard him speaking and started to come down the stairs and I left. He looks extremely unhealthy, I think they are barely keeping him alive. It is very difficult for him to speak as it pushes him to the point of exhaustion.”
“Oh my goodness,” Kelly responded, troubled by the image of Todd in such a state. “I have to tell Emma…please try to get the information out of him or find out where he is. I know you are put off by vampires, but perhaps explore around the house to try and find an address on a piece of mail or something. Anything! Be brave, Elizabeth, they can’t hurt you, can they?”
“No, they can’t. I will do everything I can, I promise.” Elizabeth vanished into this air again, but this time as she walked toward the window.
Kelly paused for a moment then yelled, “Emma! Come up here quick!” She knew she could hear her and that she’d be able to travel up to her room much faster than running downstairs herself.
Emma appeared in her doorway within seconds. Zachariah showed up just a few seconds later upon hearing Kelly yell, leaving poor Daniel outside by himself just as he tossed the football.
Kelly explained everything that Elizabeth had said, word-for-word. Zachariah lightly pounded the doorframe in frustration, careful not to break it with his strength. Emma began to cry while picturing Todd suffering as much as he was. Zachariah comforted her, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her to him in an embrace.
“I’m supposed to be protecting him,” Emma wailed into his chest, muffling her voice. Good thing Zachariah was wearing a basic, black t-shirt because her bloody tears were getting all over it.
Daniel came trotting down the hallway, almost out of breath from attempting to run after Zachariah. He saw Emma crying and Zachariah comforting her and immediately thought the worst. “No…” he protested, shaking his head.
“He’s alive,” Kelly corrected. “But, he’s not well. Elizabeth said he’s very weary and weak; his captor is barely keeping him alive. She left to go and communicate with him again, so now we wait…I’m thinking it would be best if I just stayed up here in the room by myself until she comes back. What do you think?”
They all agreed that it would be the best idea for now. Emma asked, “Kelly, would it be a bother if you could stay here until this all gets resolved? I can send Zachariah to go to your office and charm your boss to allow you the off time and still get paid.”
“Of course, anything I can do to help. And,” she turned to Zachariah, “that’s all sorts of awesome that you can do that! Perhaps convince him I deserved a permanent paid vacation?” She joked.
“I’ll go there on Monday and take care of everything. No one will be bitter about your absence, I can assure you,” Zachariah said.
Emma, Zachariah, and Daniel left the room and closed the door behind them, leaving Kelly alone and waiting for Elizabeth’s return.
“Todd…I have returned…can you hear me?” Elizabeth whispered, standing on the side of the bed once again.
His eyes peeked open and the slightest smile crept onto his pale, chapped lips.
“Now Todd, can you tell me who your captor is? Who is doing this to you?”
His eyes closed again, but his head weakly nodded. His lips just barely parted and in the softest of whispers, he named his kidnapper. “Declan. Declan Fitzgerald.” He anxiously breathed to gain the strength to tell her more. “Tell Emma to be careful, he is out to kill her and all the Royals by using my blood.” His sentence took more than a minute to complete.
“Shut up, blood bag!” 90’s girl yelled from upstairs, thinking Todd was babbling to himself again.
This made Todd’s eyes dart open from fear she would come back downstairs, his breathing was ragged.
“Do you know the address of where we are right now?” Elizabeth asked, causing him to refocus on her.
He closed his eyes again and shook his head, which was what Elizabeth feared. She would have to make her way through the house to try and find something that would indicate the location.
“I will return later,” she assured him as she reluctantly made her way up the stairs. She went through the closed basement door and glided through the filthy kitchen that looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned in at least a decade. She looked around for any type of clue, but all sh
e found were bloodstained items, a phone charger, which was completely foreign to her, and a notepad.
She drifted into the living room where 90’s girl was watching Maury. The girl glanced up, sensing that someone was there, but saw nothing. Elizabeth became still by human habit, even though she knew the girl couldn’t see her. The furniture in the living room was clearly old, but in great condition due to the fact that it was covered in plastic. The vampire who owned the house hadn’t updated it since he was turned in the 1950’s. The floral pattern on the coach was a nauseating combination of pea-green, pale yellow, and light orange flowers with an off-white background. The walls were painted a matching yellow and the hardwood floors were worn down in the traffic areas, in desperate need of replacing.
There wasn’t any mail lying around, but Elizabeth felt the strength to continue on and venture outside. This took a lot of strength and energy for her—she had to really concentrate to move away from someone or something familiar. She had never left the Davenport property, so the world around her was completely new, despite the fact that this neighborhood was several decades old. She looked at the number on the house and repeated it aloud to herself, “Ten.”
She looked both ways and saw an intersection to her right, turning her body that direction to see if there may be a street sign. She reached the corner and looked up at the green sign that ran parallel with the street. “Spaulding,” she read aloud again.
She found her way back to 10 Spaulding and went directly into the basement where she found 90’s girl and the 1950’s guy performing their duties of draining Todd’s blood. Not all of it, but enough to fill a mason jar. She saw the bloodied knife that they used to cut his arm lying on the floor. She was tempted to use any remaining energy she had to fling it into the mouths of these heinous creatures, but she stopped herself. She figured Todd could be implicated in killing them and Declan might harm him.
“Todd, don’t speak, but blink if you can hear me,” she said, loud enough so he could hear her above the vampires’ voices.
He opened his eyes and blinked, looking directly at her while she stood at the foot of the bed.
“I have the address, love. I will deliver it to Emma. I pray you’ll be safely back at the Manor soon—I have no doubt that Emma and Zachariah will rescue you, even though they are monsters. They care about you, as do I…” With that sentiment, she dissipated.
Kelly sat in her room watching television when she heard a light knock on the wall behind her. She casually turned around to see Elizabeth waiting with a pleased look on her face.
“Thanks for knocking,” Kelly joked.
“You’re welcome,” Elizabeth smiled. “I have wonderful news to share. I found the address of the house where Todd is being kept captive.”
Kelly held up a finger indicating for her to pause while she rummaged through Todd’s desk for a piece of paper and a pen. “Okay, go.”
“The address of the home is ten Spaulding, forgive me I don’t know what city.”
“No, that’s great, I’m sure they’ll be able to figure it out. That sounds like it is in the city. Now, did Todd say who his kidnapper was?” Kelly asked, her curiosity was making her anxious.
“Yes…his kidnapper and captor is Declan Fitzgerald. He has two helpers there; a young female and an older male, both vampires. They are draining him for his blood, they know what he is. Todd also revealed that Declan is planning to kill Emma and all of the vampire royalty.”
Kelly stopped writing and looked up at Elizabeth, stunned by this information. Declan had seemed so cool and genuine, she couldn’t believe that he had done this to Todd. And Emma!
“Please, pass this along to Emma. I pray that she rescues him in time…” Elizabeth said as she disappeared.
“Emma! Zachariah!” Kelly screamed, shaking with adrenaline. They managed to get to the bedroom before Daniel could even begin climbing the stairs, so they waited until he got to the room as well.
Kelly waved the piece of paper in her hand, “I have all the info I think you’re going to need. First, he’s in the basement of a house with the address ten Spaulding, I think it may be in Chicago. Second, brace yourself…his kidnapper is none other than Declan Fitzgerald. Todd said to be careful, Declan is trying to kill you and all the vampire royalty by using his blood.”
Emma gasped and put her hand over her mouth in shock, rage boiling inside of her. Zachariah called him some colorful profanities while pacing a circle, practically vibrating with fury. Daniel stood quietly, shell-shocked from the news. They had known Declan for so long; he was a trusted friend.
Kelly frantically explained everything that Elizabeth had told her, making Emma wild with anger. A deep growl escaped from her chest, unleashing when she opened her mouth, exposing her sharps fangs. Her screeching roar echoed off the high ceiling, bouncing from the walls. Daniel had never seen her so unhinged and in that moment he was truly fearful of her. She had been pushed past her point of control and looked as though she was ready to attack the first person who crossed her.
Kelly was backing away slowly, not knowing if the slightest movement would set Emma or Zachariah off—they were completely psychotic and uncharacteristically out of control. Daniel stepped back with her and lightly took her by the arm, backing away while the two screamed and roared, angry from betrayal by one of their dearest friends.
They slowly began to contain themselves once they got a glimpse of Daniel and Kelly’s fearful faces, realizing they were losing all self-control. They reined their emotions back in, composing themselves after receiving such devastating news.
“We need to call Vivienne,” Zachariah suggested while pulling out his phone.
Emma grabbed his wrist to stop him, “Wait. We don’t know if she is with Declan or not. The fewer people who know, the better. If he gets wind that we know, he’ll be able to prepare for our attack or move Todd elsewhere. Do you know where Declan is? Is he back in L.A.?”
“I have no idea…” he thought for a moment, trying to remember if Declan said where he was headed after he left the Manor the last time he was there. Then, it dawned on him, “Oh my gosh, it was him that night that Kumiko was killed. He must have slipped Todd’s blood into the open jug after he picked up the new cases. Like Kelly said, he was trying to wipe out the royalty.”
“Wow...what an asshole,” was all Emma could think to say.
“You think you know someone,” Daniel added. “I wonder why he’s doing this?”
“Power, plain and simple,” Emma responded. “He’s old, not as old as Aidan, but at least a thousand years. Besides Aidan, all of the kings and queens are considerably young. He wants the power.” She stopped talking about it and decided it was time to spring into action with no time to waste. “Zachariah, call the royal guards into the house so we can have a briefing. We need to carefully plan our attack so that none of us gets hurt and Todd doesn’t get killed. We don’t know how many more of his helpers could be lurking in their area. Daniel, go and map out directions to that address. If there are more than one, map them all.”
“On it,” Daniel said as he began to walk out of the room. He stopped himself, turned around, and asked, “What did you mean ‘call the royal guards into the house’?”
“Yeah…about that…I have had guards around the entire perimeter of the property since I became Queen. They’re very stealthy…” Emma reluctantly replied. Daniel had never known just how guarded the home he grew up in was. In a weird way, it made him feel incredibly safe.
He patted the doorframe without saying a word and went to his room to start mapping out directions to 10 Spaulding.
“What do you need me to do?” Kelly asked, feeling kind of left out since she had no mission ordered to her.
“I need you to go home,” Emma replied, not realizing how harsh she sounded. She then backtracked when she saw that Kelly was hurt and corrected herself, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just don’t want you here if something goes down. However, you will most certainly b
e rewarded and once we get Todd settled back in, I’m going to have you over so he can personally thank you. I promise.”
“No,” Kelly insisted.
Emma was aghast; someone had actually defied her orders.
“I’m one of the best weapons you have if something goes down. Todd may be too weak to help, but I’m healthy and sound.”
Emma mulled the idea over for a moment and nodded in agreement. “Alright. I’m not terribly comfortable with this, but if you’re willing…”
“I’ll be fine,” Kelly confidently answered. Sure, she could go home to where it was safe and virtually no threat of having to defend herself from vampires. It sounded pretty boring to her—how many people could say that they were a deadly weapon in the middle of a vampire war? No one she knew of, besides Todd!
There was a knock at the front door that lightly echoed through the Manor. Emma quickly made her way downstairs and opened the door expecting to see the guards, but instead Brianna was standing in front of her. Surprised and confused, she blurted, “What the hell are you doing here?”
Brianna, doing her best to remain polite, simply replied, “I’m here to see Dan.” She plastered a weak, fake smile as she stepped inside, walking past Emma. She stood in the center of the foyer, marveling at the spacious area.
“Come on in,” Emma muttered to herself as she shut the door.
“This is unlike anything I have ever seen,” Brianna commented, truly in awe of her surroundings. It was the most gracious thing Emma had ever heard her say.
“Can I take your coat?” Emma offered, doing her best to be polite as well.
She pulled it off and handed it over to her, weakly thanking her for the gesture as she leisurely strolled around the foyer, examining every detail. After putting her coat away, Emma called up the stairs to Daniel, telling him he had a guest.
The Living Weapon (Davenport Manor Book 2) Page 10
